mmJ 


mmxiy^  af  €alif<ri|«ia. 


No. 


Divisionj^.. 


Range 

S/iel/:. 


t/ 


Received  .^,<r.y/!^^ i  Sy/f" 


/^^ 


AEIZOIA  AHD  SONORA: 


THE 


GEOGRAPHY,  HISTORY,  AND  RESOURCES 


OF  THE 


SILVER  REGION  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


BY 


SYLVESTER  MOWRY, 

OF  ARIZONA, 

GRADUATE    OF    THE    U.   S.  MILITARY    ACADEMY    AT  WEST    POINT,  LATE 

LIEUTENANT  THIRD   ARTILLERY,   U.   S,   A.,   CORRESPONDING 

MEMBER   OF   THE   AMERICAN   INSTITUTE,   LATE 

U.    S.    BOUNDARY     COMMISSIONER, 

ETC.,    ETC.,    ETC. 


STljirTi  Htiition,  3£lebi»e"tr  anti  JSnUtQztj. 


NEW    YORK: 
HARPER    &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN     SQUARE. 

18  6  6. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  m  the  year  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  sixty-four,  by 

Harper  &  Brothers, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District 
of  New  York. 


TO  THOSE  LIVING, 


AND  TIIE 


JHemora  of  tijosc  IDcair, 

KILLED  BY  THE   APACHE   INDIANS   IN   THE    STRUGGLE   TO   REDEEM 

AHIZONA  FKOM   BARBARISM,    WHO   HAVE   BEEN   FOR 

YEARS  MY  FAST  FRIENDS  THROUGH 

GOOD  AND  EVIL  REPORT, 

SEljese  ^sqzs  arc  ^ffcctfonatela?  Detifcateli. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION^* 


Since  the  delivery  of  the  following  address,  more 
than  four  years  ago,  I  have  made  several  journeys  in 
Sonora  and  Arizona,  and  have  resided  about  a  year  at 
my  place,  the  ''  Mowry  Silver  Mines,"  in  Arizona. 

In  reading  over  .the  proof-sheets  of  this  new  edition, 
I  find  nothing  to  alter  or  correct  in  essential  fact.  The 
telegraph  has  just  brought  the  intelligence  of  the  Ter- 
ritorial organization  of  Arizona  by  the  U.  S.  Congress, 
and  the  appointment  of  the  governor,  judges,  and  other 
officials.  It  is  somewhat  gratifying  to  me  to  know 
that  gentlemen  who,  four  years  since,  denied  the  neces- 
sity of  this  measure,  and  opposed  it  by  vote  and  influ- 
ence most  virulently  on  political  grounds,  have  seen 
the  error  of  their  ways.  By  reproducing  my  argu- 
ments and  authorities,  and  even  my  words  verbatim  et 
literatim^  they  have  paid  a  tribute  to  truth  the  more 
valuable  that  it  comes  from  an  unexpected  source. 
As  I  had  then  and  have  now  an  ambition  for  Arizona 
far  beyond  private  or  personal  views,  I  thank  these 
gentlemen  heartily,  and  make  them  welcome  to  "all 
the  thunder"  and  all  the  political  honors  they  have 
stolen  from  me. 

The  limits  of  an  evening  address  necessarily  pre- 
cluded details,  and  obliged  me  to  confine  myself  t6 
general  and  prominent  characteristics.    The  Appendix 

*  Published  in  18G3  by  Roman  and  Company,  San  Francisco. 


viii  Preface  to  the  Second  Edition. 

to  this  edition  supplies  this  deficiency,  and  will,  I  trust, 
be  found  sufficiently  full  to  make  the  work  valuable 
for  permanent  use  and  future  reference. 

I  claim  for  the  following  pages  but  one  merit — ac- 
curacy of  statement  and  an  entire  absence  of  exaggera- 
tion. ISTo  pains  have  been  spared  in  verifying,  from 
every  valuable  source,  the  facts  presented,  and  I  chal- 
lenge the  closest  criticism  on  this  point.  The  route 
laid  down  for  the  railroad  from  El  Paso  to  Guaymas 
is  only  intended  to  indicate  the  general  direction.  It 
is  made  to  run  through  the  Gaudalupe  Pass,  because 
we  know,  from  actual  survey  that  this  Pass  is  practi- 
cable. I  am  informed,  however,  that  a  more  southerly 
pass  through  the  Sierra  Madre  exists,  which  would 
much  shorten  the  distance  from  El  Paso  to  Arizpe. 
General  C.  P.  Stone  informed  me  three  years  since  that 
he  was  convinced  of  the  existence  of  this  pass. 

The  great  opportunities  now  existing  for  permanent 
and  richly  paying  investments  in  Sonora  and  Arizona 
can  not  be  too  highly  estimated.  Every  facility  is  of- 
fered by  the  government  for  the  development  of  the 
mines  by  foreign  capitalists.  The  old  prejudice  against 
Americans  is  fast  disappearing  under  the  influence  of 
contact  and  mutual  interest.  The  owners  of  valuable 
mines  are  ready  and  willing  to  associate  themselves 
with  respectable  Americans  on  liberal  terms.  The 
character  of  the  men  at  this  moment  engaging  in  min- 
ing in  Sonora  and  Arizona  is  a  sure  guarantee  of  hon- 
est and  efficient  management — a  certain  assurance  of 
large  returns. 

In  answer  to  many  questions  respecting  the  present 
governor  of  Sonora — Senor  Don  Ygnacio  Pesqueira — 
I  am  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  of  saying  that  dur- 


Preface  to  the  8eco7id  Edition.  ix 

ing  several  years  of  intercourse  with  him,  more  or  less 
intimate,  I  have  found  him  honorable,  liberal,  and  es- 
pecially desirous  of  forwarding,  in  every  legitimate 
manner,  the  wishes  and  views  of  Americans  whose  en- 
terprise had  led  them  to  Sonora.  He  said  recently,  in 
conversation  with  several  gentlemen,  "I  care  nothing 
for  the  political  views  of  Americans  who  come  here  in 
good  faith  to  assist  us  in  developing  the  mineral  wealth 
of  the  state.  They  shall  have  from  me  all  the  assist- 
ance that  my  own  influence  and  the  government  can 
afford."  I  am  sure  I  am  doing  only  an  act  of  justice 
in  acknowledging  manykindnesses  from  this  gentle- 
man, whom  I  am  proud  to  call  my  friend. 

Being  neither  "  a  prophet,  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet," 
I  have  carefully  avoided  political  speculations  in  refer- 
ence to  Sonora.  Thick-coming  and  unforeseen  events 
would  be  almost  certain,  to  "  write  down  an  ass"  the 
man  who  is  bold  enough  to  predict  nowadays.  One 
thing,  however,  is  sure — Sonora  has  taken  a  step  in  an 
advancing  career  which  will  not  be  impeded.  Capital 
and  intelligence  have  again  gained  a  footing  in  this 
beautiful  and  wealthy  state,  and  her  course  will  be 
rapid  to  prosperity  and  power. 

The  organization  of  Arizona,  with  the  establishment 
of  courts,  and  the  presence  of  a  large  military  force, 
will  restore  order,  guarantee  capital  and  labor,  and 
subdue  or  exterminate  the  hostile  Apaches. 

I  beg  to  make  my  sincere  acknowledgments  to  the 
gentlemen  who  have  favored  me  with  notes,  and  espe- 
cially to  Don  Juan  A.  Eobinson,  of  Sonora,  and  Mr.  J. 
A.  Peck,  of  San  Francisco,  for  valuable  manuscript 
notes  of  mining  localities  in  Sonora,  which  I  have  not 
visited..  S.  M. 

A  2 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ADDRESS   BEFORE   THE   AMERICAN  GEOGRAPHICAL  AND   STATISTICAL 
SOCIETY,  NEW  YORK,  FEBRUARY   3, 1859. 

Arizona  :  Origin  of  the  Name. — Boundaries. — Outlet. — The  Gadsden 
Purchase. — Eariy  Settlements. — Mormons. — Mines. — Soil  and  Pro- 
ductions.— Indian  Depredations. — The  Valley  of  the  Rio  Grande. 
— The  Rivers  Mimbres,  Suanco,  San  Pedro,  and  Santa  Cruz. — Tuc- 
son.— Tuhac. — The  Sonoita  Valley. — Silver  Region. — Desert  Re- 
gion.— Arizona  Copper  Mine. — Valleys  of  the  Colorado  and  Gila. — 
The  Pimos. — The  Apaches. — Other  Indians. — Climate. — Cultiva- 
tion.— Population. — New  Mexico  and  Arizona. — Importance  of  the 
Organization  of  Arizona. — Copper  and  Silver  Ores. — The  Heintzel- 
man  Mine. — Other  Mines. — The  Gold  Region. — Sonora  :  Bound- 
aries, Government,  and  Population. — Origin  of  the  Name. — Char- 
acter of  the  People. — Soil. — Mines. — The  Real  del  Carmen. — Sier- 
ra del  Oregano. — Ancient  Population.  —  Traditions.  —  Silver  and 
Gold. — Climate  and  Productions. — Rivers  and  Towns. — Guaymas 
and  its  Commerce. — Hermosillo. — Future  of  Sonora. — Pacific  Rail- 
road  Page  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

condition  op  ARIZONA  FROM  1859  TO  18G4. 

Rapid  Advance  of  Arizona.— Reverses.— Withdrawal  of  the  Overland 
Mail. — Ravages  of  the  Apaches. — Mining  Discoveries. — The  Heint- 
zelman  and  other  Mines.— The  Military  Position.— Th<?  Mowry  Sil- 
ver Mines.— Arrest  of  the  Proprietor.— His  Release.— The  Mines 
worked  on  Government  Account. — The  Apaches,  and  how  to  deal 
with  them. — General  Carleton. — Arizona  in  1864. — Progress  of  the 
Mines.— The  Mowry  Mines.— Mr.  Kiistel's  Report.— The  Bounda- 
ries and  Organization  of  the  Territory 55 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE   MINES   OF  ARIZONA.      REPORT   OF   F.  BIERTU,  METALLURGIST  AND 
mining   ENGINEER,  WRITTEN  IN   FEBRUARY,  1861. 

The  Mowry  (formeriy  called  the  Patagonia)  Silver  Mines.— The  Lodes 
and  Ores. — Shafts  and  Tunnels. — Owners. — Management. — Eagle 


xii  Contents. 

Mines. — Empire  or  Montezuma  Mine. — Santa  Rita  Mining  Com- 
pany.— Mariposa  Mining  Company. — Sonora  Exploring  and  Mining 
Company. — Cahuabi  Mining  Company. — Arizona  Copper  Mining 
Company. — Sopori  Land  and  Mining  Company. — Arizona  Land 
and  Mining  Company. — Colorado  River  Copper  Mines. — Stevenson 
Mining  Company. — Harris  Mine. — St.  Augustin  Mining  Company. 
— Coal  Mines. — Auriferous  Quartz Page  73 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    COLORADO   RIVER   MINES   IN  1864. 

Mining  on  the  Colorado. — The  River  and  its  Navigation. — The  differ- 
ent Mining  Districts  on  the  Colorado.  —  Freight  and  Passage.  — 
Quality  of  the  Ores. — Mode  of  Working. — Furnaces  and  Fuel...  85 

CHAPTER  V. 

SONORA  FROM  1859  TO   18G4. 

Improvements  since  1859. — The  Southern  Pacific  Railroad. — The 
Overland  Mail. — Guaymas. — Labor  in  Sonora. — Great  Mining  Ha- 
ciendas.— The  Mining  Districts,  Alamos,  San  Xavier,  Las  Bronces, 
Los  Cedros. — Price  of  Labor. — The  Jecker  Contracjt  for  the  Survey 
of  Sonora. — Captain  Stone's  Scientific  Commission. — Its  Failure. — 
What  it  accomplished. — Extracts  from  Captain  Stone's  Letters. — 
What  the  Contract  granted. — Present  Condition  of  Sonora 92 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   MINES    OP   LA   CANANEA   AND   LA  CIENEGUITA,  SONORA. 

La  Cananea:  Early  Working  of  the  Mines. — Don  Ygnacio  Perez. — 
The  Sierra  of  La  Cananea. — Condition  of  the  Mines  in  1860. — 
Their  Situation. — The  different  Mines. — The  Ores. — Chamunque. 
— Access  to  the  Mines. — Assays  of  Ores. — La  Cieneguita:  Situation 
of  the  Mines. — Early  Working. — Their  Abandonment. — Titles. — 
Location. — The  Mines. — The  Hacienda. — Fuel,  Water,  Building 
Materials,  Wages,  Provisions,  etc. — Resume.  — Assays  of  the  Ores 
of  La  Cieneguita 103 

CHAPTER  VH. 

THE    SIERRA   MADRE   OP   NEW   MEXICO. 

Mineral  Wealth  of  Northern  Mexico. — The  Sierra  Madre. — Mining 
under  the  Spanish  Dominion. — Ancient  and  Modern  Mines. — Pres- 
ent Modes  of  Mining. — The  Miners. — Gambussinos. — Their  Mode 
of  Working. — Causes  of  the  Decay  in  Mining. — Habits  of  the  Min- 


Contents.  xiii 

ers. — Borascas  and  Bonanzas. — Expulsion  of  the  Spaniards. — With- 
drawal of  Military  Forces. — Ravages  of  the  Indians, — Lack  of  Ma- 
chinery.— Various  Causes  for  the  Abandonment  of  Mines. — Necessi- 
ty for  Foreign  Capital  and  Energy. — Inducements  for  its  Invest- 
ment.— Political  Relations  of  Sonora  and  Chihuahua. — The  Apaches. 
— Special  Advantages  of  Chihuahua,  Sonora,  and  Sinaloa. — Value 
and  Distribution  of  the  Ores. — Means  of  acquiring  the  Right  to 
Mines. — Hints  to  Capitalists Page  125 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   MINES    OF   JESUS   MARIA   AND   SAN  JOSE. 

Condition  of  Mining  in  Mexico.— Wealth  of  the  old  Spanish  Miners. 
— The  Faults  of  their  Successors. — A  European  Superintendent  of 
the  Jesus  Maria  Mines. — M.  Augustus  Remuley. — Abandonment  of 
the  Mines. — Recent  Movements. — Present  Prospects. — The  Mines 
near  Jesus  Maria  and  Jose. — Nuestra  Senora  del  Rayo. — Santa  Mar- 
garita.— San  Jose  del  Rosario. — Candelaria. — San  Rafael. — Haci- 
enda Quintana. — General  Notes 140 

CHAPTER  IX. 

MINBRALOGICAL    SKETCH    OP   ARIZONA. 

Limits  of  Arizona. — Topography. — Geological  Structure. — Character 
of  the  Vegetation. — The  Plains. — The  Table-lands. — Rivers,,rount- 
ains,  and  Wells. — Arable  and  grazing  Land. — Part  of  the  great 
Mineral  Region. — The  Heintzelman  Mine. — Character  of  the  Ores. 
— Their  Order  of  Deposit. — Processes  of  Reduction. — Defects  in  the 
Processes. — Wages  and  other  Expenses. — Results,  actual  and  pros- 
pective.—  The  Plain  of  Arivaca.  —  Santa  Rita  Mines. — Cahuabi 
Mines. — The  San  Pedro  Mines. — Lead  Mines. — The  Mowry  Silver 
Mines. — Various  Mines  and  Ores. — Plancha  de  la  Plata. — General 
Conclusions 158 

CHAPTER  X. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

S.  Mowry  to  J.  R.  Bartlett,  Esq. — From  J.  R.  Bartlett,  Esq. — From 
John  C.  Hays,  Esq. — From  Hon.  Joseph  Lane. — From  John  Nu- 
gent, Esq. — From  Hon.  Miguel  A.  Otero. — From  S.  W.  Ingo,  Esq. — 
From  Major  C.  E.  Bennett. — From  Sam.  F.  Butterworth,  Esq...   1 7G 


xiv  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THE   GOVERNMENT   AND   THE   MINES. 

The  Mines  of  the  West :  shall  the  Government  seize  them  ? — The 
Mining  States:  how  shall  they  be  Taxed? 200 

^  CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    SOUTHERN   RAILROAD   ROUTE   TO   THE   PACIFIC.  a 

Jefferson  Davis  on  the  Route  of  the  32d  Parallel :  All  Routes  present 
Obstacles;  this  the  fewest. — Lieutenant  Parke's  Surveys. — Dis- 
tances.— The  Office  Examination. — The  Jornado. — Water  and 
Timber. — Distances  and  Elevations. — Mr.  A.  H.  Campbell's  Ptcport. 
— Temperature. — Opinions  of  Marcy  and  Emory. — Table  of  Com- 
parative Lengths  and  Costs. — General  Considerations. — National 
Importance  of  a  Pacific  Railroad. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    SILVER   MINES   OF  ARIZONA. 

The  San  Antonio  Mine. — Aspect  of  the  Region. — The  Mo  wry  Mines. 
— Scene  at  the  Hacienda. — Pay-day. — Labor  and  Laborers. — His- 
tory of  the  Mines. — Lieutenant  Mowry. — Yield  of  the  Mines. — 
Country  and  Climate. -^Santa  Rita  Mines. — The  Hacienda. — The 
Salero  Mines. — The  Ores. —  Grazing. — The  Sopori  Ranch. — The 
Country  and  the  Mines. — Prospects. — The  Heintzclman  Mine. — 
The  Country. — Past  and  Present  of  the  Mines. — The  Ores. — Mex- 
ican Thieves.  —  The  Arivaca  Mines.  —  The  Country.  —  Arizona 
Mining  Company. — Surrounding  Mining  Region. — The  Cahuabia 
District. — The  Mines.  —  The  Bahia  Mines.  —  General  Conclu- 
sions    232 

POSTSCRIPT. 

WARD   ON   THE    SILVER  MINES   OF   NORTHERN  MEXICO. 

Projects  for  Mining.— The  Mines  of  Arizpe. — Richness  of  Ores. — 
The  Balls  of  Silver. — Old  Spanish  Decree. — Criaderos  de  Plata. — 
Speculations  and  Prospects 249 


ARIZONA  AND  SONORA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ADDRESS  BEFORE  THE  AMERICAN  GEOGRAPHICAL  AND  STATISTICAL 
SOCIETY,  NEW  YORK,  FEBRUARY  3,  1S59. 

Aeizona  :  Origin  of  the  Name, — Boundaries. — Outlet. — The  Gadsden 
Purchase. — Early  Settlements. — Mormons. — Mines. — Soil  and  Pro- 
ductions.— Indian  Depredations. — The  Valley  of  the  Rio  Grande. 
— The  Rivers  Mimbres,  Suanco,  San  Pedro,  and  Santa  Cruz. — Tuc- 
son.— Tubac. — The  Sonoita  Valley. — Silver  Region. — Desert  Re- 
gion.— Arizona  Copper  Mine. — Valleys  of  the  Colorado  and  Gila. — 
The  Pimos. — The  Apaches. — Other  Indians. — Climate. — Cultiva- 
tion.— Population. — New  Mexico  and  Arizona. — Importance  of  the 
Organization  of  Arizona. — Copper  and  Silver  Ores. — The  Heintzel- 
man  Mine. — Other  Mines. — The  Gold  Region. — Sonora  ^Bound- 
aries, Government,  and  Population. — Origin  of  the  Name. — Char- 
acter'of  the  People. — Soil. — Mines. — The  Real  del  Carmen. — Sier- 
ra del  Oregano. — Ancient  .Population.  —  Traditions.  —  Silver  and 
Gold. — Climate  and  Productions. — Rivers  and  Towns. — Guaymas 
and  its  Commerce. — Hermosillo. — Future  of  Sonora. — Pacific  Rail- 
road. 

The  name  Aeizona  is  undoubtedly  derived  from  the 
Aztec.  In  the  original  it  is  Arizuma,  and  the  change  is 
a  corruption  into  the  present  word,  which  is  accepted  as 
Spanish.  We  have  no  decided  information  as  to  its  mean- 
ing, but  the  impression  among  those  who  have  been  curi- 
ous enough  to  investigate  is,  that  it  signifies  "  silver-bear- 
ing." This  impression  gains  strength  from  the  fact  that 
the  Arizona  mountains  are  very  rich  in  silver,  and  that  a 
tradition  of  a  silver  mine,  called  La  Arizona,  of  incredible 


16  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

richness,  still  ^exists  among  the  Mexican  people  near  the 
frontier  of  our  newly-acquired  Territory.  The  proposed 
Territory  of  Arizona  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  par- 
allel of  latitude  33°  40';  on  the  east  by  Texas;  on  the 
south  by  Texas  and  the  Mexican  States  of  Chihuahua  and 
Sonora ;  and  on  the  west  by  the  Colorado  River,  which 
separates  it  from  California.  This  great  region  is  about 
seven  hundred  miles  long,  wdth  an  average  width  of  about 
one  hundred  and  forty  miles,  and  contains  nearly  100,000 
square  miles.  It  is  twice  as  large  as  New  York;  em- 
braces within  its  borders  three  of  the  largest  rivers  on  the 
continent  west  of  the  Mississippi,  viz.,  the  Rio  Grande, 
the  Gila,  and  the  Colorado  of  the  West.* 

The  Colorado  is  the  only  navigable  stream,  and  by  its 
waters  and  those  of  the  Gulf  of  California,  Arizona  is 
placed  in  easy  communication  with  San  Francisco  and  the 
Pacific  coast.  The  natural  outlet  for  the  productions  of 
Arizona  must  be  through  a  port  on  the  Gulf  of  California, 
and  the  acquisition  of  California  necessitates  the  posses- 
sion of  Sonora.  That  portion  of  Arizona  now  occupied, 
and  to^which  public  attention  is  now  attracted  in  so  re- 
markable a  degree,  has  been  better  known  heretofore  as 
the  "  Gadsden  Purchase."  It  was  acquired  by  purchase 
from  Mexico  during  the  mission  of  General  Gadsden,  at  a 
cost  often  millions  of  dollars.  In  the  original  treaty,  as  ne- 
gotiated by  General  Gadsden,  a  more  southerly  boundary 
than  the  one  adopted  by  the  Senate  of  the  United  States 
in  confirming  the  treaty  was  conceded  by  Santa  Anna. 
The  line  at  present  is  irregular  in  its  course,  and  cuts 
oflffrom  our  Territory  the  head  of  the  Santa  Cruz  River 
and  valley,  the  Sonoita  valley,  the  San  Bernardino  valley, 
the  whole  course  of  the  Colorado  River  from  a  point 
twenty  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Gila  River,  and, 
worse  than  all,  the  control  of  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
*  For  boundaries  as  adopted,  see  Chapter  11. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.      17 

fornia,  and  the  rich  and  extensive  valley  of  Lake  Guzman, 
besides  a  large  and  extremely  valuable  silver  region,  well 
known  both  to  Mexicans  and  Americans — the  Planchas 
de  la  Plata.  General  Gadsden's  line  included  nearly  all 
the  territory  south  of  the  Gila  River  to  the  thirty-first 
parallel  of  latitude — all  the  advantages  above  mentioned 
— and  gave  us  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  River. 

The  Gadsden  Purchase  is  attached  by  act  of  Congress 
to  the  Territory  of  Kew  Mexico.  At  the  time  of  its  ac- 
quisition there  was  scarcely  any  population,  except  a  few 
scattering  Mexicans  in  the  Mesilla  valley,  and  at  the  old 
town  of  Tucson,  in  the  centre  of  the  Territory.  The 
Apache  Indian,  superior  in  strength  to  the  Mexican,  had 
gradually  extirpated  every  trace  of  civilization,  and  roam- 
ed uninterrupted  and  unmolested,  sole  possessor  of  what 
was  once  a  thriving  and  populous  Spanish  province. 

In  the  possession  of  the  writer  of  these  notes  is  a  map 
drawn  in  1757,  over  one  hundred  years  ago,  presented 
by  the  Society  of  Jesuits  to  the  King  of  Spain.  The 
original  of  this  map  is  now  in  the  archives  of  the  Mexi- 
can government.  It  was  copied,  with  the  notes  relating 
to  the  Territory  and  Sonora,  Chihuahua  and  Sinaloa,  by 
Captain  C.  P.  Stone,  late  of  the  United  States  Army. 
The  map  bears  the  inscription,  "(7<:«'^e  levee- par  la  So- 
ciete  des  Jesuites  dediee  au  Hoi  d'Espagne  en  1757." 
The  copy  of  the  map  and  the  accompanying  notes  are 
certified  as  accurate  by  the  officer  of  the  Mexican  gov- 
ernment in  charge  of  the  archives. 

My  information,  therefore,  upon  the  early  history  of 
this  comparatively  unknown  domain,  is  accurate  and  reli- 
able. As  early  as  1687,  a  Jesuit  missionary  from  the 
province  of  Sonora,  which,  in  its  southern  portion,  bore 
already  the  impress  of  Spanish  civilization,  descended  the 
valley  of  the  Santa  Cruz  River  to  the  Gila.  Passing  down 
the  Gila  to  its  mouth,  after  exploring  the  country,  he  re- 


18  Arizona  and  Sooiora. 

traced  his  steps,  penetrated  the  country  north  of  the  Gila 
River  for  some  distance,  and  ascended  the  Salinas  or  Salt 
River,  and  other  northern  branches  of  the  Gila.  The  ex- 
plorations of  this  energetic  priest  did  not  stop  here.  Pro- 
ceeding east,  he  explored  the  valley  of  the  San  Pedro  and 
its  branches,  thence  along  the  Gila  to  the  Mimbres,  and 
probably  to  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  Mesilla  valley.  Fill- 
ed with  the  enthusiasm  of  his  sect,  he  procured  authority 
from  the  head  of  the  order  in  Mexico,  and  established 
missions  and  settlements  at  every  available  point. 

The  reports  of  the  immense  mineral  wealth  of  the  new 
country,  made  by  the  Jesuits,  induced  a  rapid  settlement. 
There  are  laid  down  on  the  map  before  me  more  than 
forty  towns  and  villages.  Many  of  these  were  of  consid- 
erable size.  There  were  a  few  north  of  the  Gila,  and 
several  on  the  lower  Gila,  near  the  Colorado.  The  Santa 
Cruz  and  its  tributary  valleys  teemed  with  an  agricultur- 
al and  mining  population.  Thousands  of  enterprising 
Spaniards  cultivated  the  rich  valley  of  the  San  Pedro, 
and  scattered  settlements  flourished  at  every  suitable 
stream  and  spring  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  toward 
the  Rio  Grande.    The  notes  before  me  say: 

"  All  these  settlements  and  missions  were  founded  in 
fertile  valleys,  and  by  streams  and  springs,  which  pro- 
duced luxuriant  crops  of  wheat,  corn,  and  beans,  and  in 
many  parts  grapes  and  other  foreign  fruits  were  culti- 
vated." 

In  the  western  part  of  the  territory  were  the  missions 
of  St.  Pierre,  SI.  Paul,  St.  Matthias,  St.  Simond,  St.  Francis- 
co, Merci,  the  ranches  of  Eau  Cheri,  Eau  de  la  Lune,  and 
others ;  on  the  Santa  Cruz  the  missions  of  San  Xavier  del 
Bac,  Santiago,  San  Cayetano,  and  San  Philipe ;  the  towns 
of  Tucson,  Tubac,  Regis,  San  Agusta,  and  many  others. 
San  Xavier  del  Bac  is  still  in  existence.  It  is  a  mission 
church  of  great  size  and  beauty,  magnificently  ornamented 


Address  before  the  Geographiccd  Society^  1859.      19 

within ;  forty  thousand  dollars  in  solid  silver  served  to 
adorn  the  altar.  Upon  the  San  Pedro  River  were  the 
missions  of  St.  Mark,  San  Salvadore,  San  Pantaleon,  Santa 
Cruz,  and  the  towns  of  Quiduria,  itosario,  Eugenia,  Vic- 
toria, and  San  Fernando — the  latter  at  the  mouth — with 
many  more.  To  the  east  some  small  settlements  were 
found  on  the  Valle  del  Saux,  on  the  Mimbres,  at  the  cop- 
per mines  north  of  the  Mimbres,  and  to  the  south  the 
immense  grazing  and  stock-raising  establishment  of  San 
Bernardino,  where  since  have  been  raised  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  cattle  and  horses.  The  Indians  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  missions  were  reduced  first  to  obedience  by  the 
Jesuits,  and  then  to  slavery  by  the  Spaniards. 

The  notes  referred  to  above  contain  the  names  and  lo- 
calities of  more  than  a  hundred  silver  and  gold  mines, 
which  were  worked  with  great  success  by  the  Spaniards. 
The  survey  of  the  Jesuit  priest  abost  1687  was  repeated 
in  1710,  with  renewed  discoveries,  and  consequent  acces- 
sion o^ population.  From  this  time  up  to  1757  the  con- 
quest and  settlement  of  the  country  was  prosecuted  with 
vigor,  both  by  the  Jesuits'  Society  and  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernment. 

The  missions  and  settlements  were  repeatedly  destroy- 
ed by  the  Apaches,  and  the  priests  and  settlers  massacred 
or  driven  off.  As  often  were  they  re-established.  The 
Indians  at  length,  thoroughly  aroused  by  the  cruelties  of 
the  Spaniards,  by  whom  they  were  deprived  of  their  lib- 
erty, forced  to  labor  in  the  silver  mines  with  inadequate 
food,  and  barbarously  treated,  finally  rose,  joined  with 
tribes  who  had  never  been  subdued,  and  gradually  drove 
out  or  massacred  their  oppressors.  A  superior  civiliza- 
tion disappeared  before  their  devastating  career,  and  to- 
day there  is  scarcely  a  trace  of  it  left,  except  scarcely  vis- 
ible ruins,  evidences  every  where  of  extensive  and  hastily- 
deserted  mining  operations,  and  the  tradition  of  the  coun- 


20  Arizona  mid  Sonora. 

try.  The  mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  and  the  old 
towns  of  Tucson  and  Tubac,  are  the  most  prominent  of 
these  remains. 

From  IVS?  down  to  1820,  the  Spaniards  and  Mexicans 
continued  to  work  many  valuable  mines  near  Barbacora, 
and  the  notes  in  my  possession  speak  of  many  silver 
mines,  most  of  which  contained  a  percentage  of  gold. 
"The  San  Pedro  gold  mine  in  1748  was  worked  with  ex- 
traordinary success."  Among  the  mines  anciently  work- 
ed, as  laid  down  in  the  authorities  heretofore  referred  to, 
were  the  Dolores,  San  Antonio,  Casa  Gordo,  Cabrisa,  San 
Juan  Bautista,  Santa  Anna  (which  was  worked  to  the 
depth  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  yards),  Rosario,  Cata 
de  Agua,  Guadalouj^e,  Connilla,  Prieta,  Santa  Catarina, 
Guzopa,  Hurstano,  Arpa,  Descuhidara,  Nascosare,  Ar- 
guage,  Churinabibi,  Huacal,  Pinal,  and  a  great  number  of 
others,  w^hich  it  would  only  be  tedious  to  mention. 

Every  exploration  within  the  past  few  years  has  con- 
firmed the  statements  of  the  ancient  records.  The  testi- 
mony of  living  Mexicans  and  the  tradition  of  the  country 
all  tend  to  the  same  end.  Colonel  A.  B.  Grey,  Colonel 
Emory,  Lieutenant  Michler,  Lieutenant  Parke,  the  Hon. 
John  R.  Bartlett,  late  of  the  United  States  Boundary 
Commission,  all  agree  in  the  statement  that  the  Territory 
has  immense  resources  in  silver  and  copper.  Colonel 
Emory  says  in  his  report : 

"On  account  of  the  gold  mania  in  California,  I  kept  the 
search  for  gold  and  other  precious  metals  as  much  out  of 
view  as  possible,  scarcely  allowing  it  to  be  a  matter  of 
conversation,  much  less  of  actual  search.  Yet  enough 
was  ascertained  to  convince  us  that  the  whole  region  was 
teeming  with  the  precious  metals.  We  ever}^  where  saw 
the  remains  of  mining  operations,  conducted  by  the  Span- 
iards, and  more  recently  by  the  Mexicans." 

The  report  enumerates  at  considerable  length  the  va- 


Address  before  the  Geographiccd  Society,  1859.      21 

rious  localities  examined  by  Colonel  Emory's  party  and 
others,  of  which  there  could  be  no  doubt.  The  Hon. 
John  R.  Bartlett  says  of  the  Salinas,  one  of  the  northern 
branches  of  the  Gila,  that  it  alone  will  supply  food  for  a 
great  state.  \  It  must  be  recollected  in  this  connection 
that  the  greatTnineral  wealth  of  Arizona  will  call  for,  and 
amply  repay  for,  the  redemption  and  expensive  cultiva- 
tion of  all  the  available  lands,  and  that  irrigation  pro- 
duces immensely  greater  crops  than  the  other  method  of 
planting.^  Throughout  the  whole  of  Utah  irrigation  has 
"Been  resorted  to  with  the  greatest  success.  The  soil  in 
Utah,  in  no  place  that  the  writer  saw  it,  could  in  any  way 
be  compared  to  that  of  the  bottom  lands  of  Arizona. 
Captain  Whipple,  in  his  valuable  report  of  exploration  for 
the  Pacific  Railroad,  published  by  order  of  Congress, 
crossed  the  upper  part  of  the  region  alluded  to,  and  which 
is  watered  by  the  Rio  Verde  and  Salinas.  He  fully  sus- 
tains me  in  my  remarks  on  those  rich  valleys : 

"  We  are  in  the  pleasantest  region  w^e  have  seen  since 
we  left  the  Choctaw  country.  Here  are  clear  rivulets, 
with  fertile  valleys  and  forest  trees.  The  wide  belt  of 
country  that  borders  the  Black  Forest,  and  probably  ex- 
tends along  the  Rio  Verde  to  the  Salinas  and  Gila,  bears 
every  indication  of  being  able  to  support  a  lai'ge  agricul- 
tural and  pastoral  population.  The  valley  of  the  Rio 
Verde  is  magnificently  wooded  with  firs  and  oaks,  afford- 
ing excellent  timber.  Ancient  ruins  are  said  by  trappers 
to  be  scattered  over  its  whole  length  to  the  confluence 
with  the  Salinas.  We  therefore  seem  to  have  skirted 
the  boundary  of  a  country  once  populous,  and  worthy  of 
becoming  so  again.  Besides  the  advantages  already  enu- 
merated, the  mountains  in  this  vicinity  bear  indications 
of  mineral  wealth." — Vol.  iii.,  p.  93. 

The  notes  above  referred  to,  in  the  possession  of  the 
writer,  speak  of  great  farming  and  grazing  establishments 


22  Arizona  and  Soiiora. 

scattered  over  the  whole  face  of  the  Territory,  between 
1610  and  1800,  which  produced  abundant  crops  of  cereals, 
fruits,  and  grapes.  These  statements  are  confirmed  by 
the  testimony  of  Major  Emory  and  his  report,  where  he 
enumerates  several  of  the  most  extensive;  by  Grey,Bart- 
lett,  Parke,  and  Colonel  Bonneville.  Many  of  the  ranches, 
deserted  by  the  Mexicans  on  account  of  the  Apache  In;^ 
dians,  have  upon  them  large,  well-built  adobe  houses, 
which  must  have  cost  the  builders  thousands  of  dollars. 
Many  of  these  have  been  occupied  under  squatter  titles 
by  emigrants  within  the  last  few  years.  Of  others  only 
the  ruins  remain,  having  been  destroyed  by  the  depreda- 
tions of  the  Indians,  or  by  the  heavy  rains  of  succeeding 
years. 

The  country  east  of  the  Rio  Grande  is  a  great  plain, 
broken  only  by  the  Sacramento  and  Guadalupe  Mount- 
ains. Except  in  the  towns  on  the  river  there  is  no  popu- 
lation. The  Mescalero  Apaches  have  until  lately  made 
settlements  unsafe.  The  establishment  of  Fort  Stanton, 
and  the  activity  of  the  United  States  troops,  have,  howev- 
er, reduced  this  once  formidable  tribe  in  number  and  spir- 
it, so  that  an  early  settlement  of  the  fine  country  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Sacramento  Mountains  may  be  expected. 
I  have  not  visited  this  portion  of  the  Territory,  but  from 
persons  in  whom  I  have  perfect  confidence  I  learn  that 
there  is  a  large  and  valuable  district,  ofi^ering  great  induce- 
ments to  stock-raisers ;  a  number  of  bold,  clear  streams, 
alive  with  trout  and  other  fish ;  a  good  proportion  of 
arable  land,  and  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  oak,  pine,  hack- 
berry,  and  other  timber.  In  the  Organ  Mountains,  oppo- 
site the  Mesilla  valley,  there  are  silver  mines  of  great  val- 
ue. One  of  these,  the  old  Stevenson  Mine,  now  known 
as  the  Fort  Fillmore  Mine,  has  been  purchased  by  New 
York  capitalists,  and  preparations  are  making  to  develop 
its  undoubted  wealth. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.     23 

The  Rio  Grande  valley,  including  the  well-known  Me- 
silla,  contains  a  large  extent  of  unoccupied  arable  land, 
Avith  plenty  of  water  for  irrigation.  Until  lately,  the  pro- 
tection afforded  by  United  States  troops  has  enabled  the 
people  to  cultivate  in  safety,  and  during  the  last  year 
nearly  one  hundred  thousand  bushels  of  grain  were  raised 
in  the  valley,  besides  a  large  number  of  cattle  and  horses. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  settlements  here,  although 
mostly  Mexican,  have  been  made  since  the  United  States 
acquired  the  Territory,  and  that  the  lands  are  held  under 
American  title.  The  population  is  quiet,  well  behaved, 
and  thoroughly  American  in  feeling.  It  is  estimated,  and 
I  believe  correctly,  that  at  least  50,000  people  can  be  set- 
tled on  the  Rio  Grande  within  the  Arizona  boundaries, 
and  there  are  many  attractions  for  the  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser.  West  of  the  Rio  Grande  the  country  is  a  succes- 
sion of  mesas  or  table-lands,  ascending  gently  for  nearly 
ninety  miles  to  the  Sierra  Madre,  and  thence  Avestward 
for  five  hundred  miles,  gradually  descending  until  they 
reach  the  Gulf  of  California.  This  extensive  plateau 
south  of  the  Gila  is  broken  by  two  well-defined  ranges  of 
mountains,  the  Chir-aca-hui  and  Santa  Rita,  and  by  a  num- 
ber of  isolated  peaks,  which  assume  something  the  form 
of  a  sugar-loaf,  and  are  called  by  the  Mexicans  Picachos 
and  PeloncAllos. 

The  sun  never  shone  on  a  finer  grazing  country  than 
upon  the  three  hundred  miles  west  of  the  Rio  Grande. 
The  traveler  has  before  him  throughout  the  entire  dis- 
tance a  sea  of  grass,  whose  nutritious  qualities  have  no 
equal,  and  the  stock-raiser  in  January  sees  his  cattle  in 
better  condition  than  our  Eastern  farmer  his  stall-fed  ox. 
Ninety  miles  west  of  the  Rio  Grande  is  the  Mimbres  Riv- 
er and  valley.  Passing  over  the  dividing  ridge  of  the 
Sierra  Madre,  with  so  gentle  an  ascent  and  descent  as  to 
make  it  almost  imperceptible,  you  descend  into  a  wide 


24  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

and  beautiful  valley,  which  at  no  distant  day  will  support 
a  large  population.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  covered 
with  a  fine  growth  of  cottonwood,  and  above  the  usual 
crossing  for  emigrants  wild  grapes  and  berries  are  found 
in  great  profusion.  ^The  Santa  Rita  del  Cobre  copper 
I  mine,  of  ancient  fame,  and  a  little  to  the  northwest  of  the 
jMimbres,  has  lately  been  reopened  by  a  capitalist,  who 
ihas  already  begun  to  reap  the  reward  of  his  enterprise. 
One  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  pounds  of  this  copper 
were  sold  a  few  months  since  to  the  Chihuahua  mint  for 
thirty-five  cents  per  pound.  A  quantity  has  been  sent  to 
London  and  to  New  York  to  be  experimented  on.*  It  is 
claimed  that  the  superior  malleability  and  ductility  of  this 
copper -must  make  the  demand  for  it  very  great.  The 
Mimbres  River  sinks  before  reaching  the  hne  of  Mexico. 
Some  statementSjWhichlhave  never  been  able  to  authen- 
ticate, make  it  flow  in  very  rainy  seasons  into  Lake  Guz- 
man. The  Suanco,  or  Valle  de  Saux,  is  the  next  valley  on 
the  line  of  the  emigrant  road.  The  waters  of  this  stream 
are  very  limited  and  intermittent.  As  it  approaches  the 
Gila  the  valley  becomes  better,  but  it  will  never  be  avail- 
able for  extensive  agriculture.  The  San  Pedro  River 
and  valley,  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  west  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  is  par  excellence  the  agricultural  district  south 
of  the  Gila.  The  valley  is  wide,  very  rich  soil,  and  is 
considerably  over  one  hundred  miles  in  length.  Owing 
to  the  depredations  of  the  Apaches,  no  settlements  have 
yet  been  made  in  this  valley.  There  is,  near  the  junction 
of  the  San  Pedro  with  the  Gila,  and  at  the  mouth  of  tlie 
Arivypa,  a  most  beautiful  and  fertile  region.  A  fine 
growth  of  ash  covers  the  valley.  The  Santa  Rita  Mount- 
ains, which  separate  the  San  Pedro  and  Santa  Cruz,  con- 
tain inexhaustible  supplies  of  pine  and  oak,  besides  untold 
millions  of  the  precious  metals.  A  military  post  of  four 
*  See  Appendix  for  later  results. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  /Society, 1S59.     25 

companies  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arivypa  would  open  this 
entire  country  to  settlement. 

Still  following  the  emigrant  and  mail  road  fifty  miles, 
brings  us  to  the  old  Mexican  town  of  Tucson  and  the  val- 
ley of  the  Santa  Cruz.  Like  most  of  the  streams,  the 
Santa  Cruz  is  intermittent,  sinking  and  rising  at  irregular 
intervals.  A  portion  of  this  valley  is  covered  w'ith  a 
heavy  growth  of  cottonwood.  The  mountains  in  the  vi- 
cinity contain  pine  and  oak,  and  the  extensive  tracts  of 
grazing  lands  south  to  the  Mexican  line  are  covered 
thickly  with  the  mesquit  —  the  best  fuel  in  the  world. 
The  town  of  Tucson  now  contains  about  a  thousand  inhab-' 
itants.  It  once  had  three  thousand.;  but  the  Indians,  av1k> 
desolated  the  whole  of  the  Territory,  had  driven  away  all 
but  about  two  hundred  at  the  time  of  the  Gadsden  Pur- 
chase. Nine  miles  from  Tucson,  as  you  go  up  the  valley  i 
of  the  Santa  Cruz,  is  the  old  mission  church  of  San  Xav-  ■ 
ier,  to  which  I  have  alluded  elsewhere.  It  is  still  sur- 
rounded by  a  Papago  Indian  village ;  a  few  tame  Apaches 
and  a  few  whites  also  live  under  the  shadow  of  its  tow- 
ers. Incredible  as  the  statement  may  seem,  the  church 
of  San  Xavier,  with  its  elaborate  fa9ade,  its  dome  and 
spires,  would  to-day  be  an  ornament  to  the  architecture 
of  this  great  metropolis.  No  better  evidence  is  needed 
of  the  resources  and  former  prosperity  of  Arizona  than  is 
to  be  found  in  the  now  deserted  missions  of  San  Xavier 
and  Tumacacori. 

The  town  of  Tubac,  fifty  miles  southeast  of  Tucson, 
which  now  boasts  a  population  of  several  hundred,  was  en- 
tirely deserted  up  to  1855,  when  i^  was  reoccupied  in  part 
by  the  Sonora  Exploring  and  Mining  Company.  They 
claim  the  town,  and  have  given  permission  to  a  number 
of  emigrants  to  occupy  the  old  houses  and  build  new 
ones.  Over  what  was  once  the  towers  of  the  barracks 
of  the  Mexican  troops  now  floats  a  banner  bearing  the 

B 


26  Arizo7ia  and  Sonora. 

arms  of  peace,  a  hammer  and  pick,  the  insignia  of  the 
company ;  and  in  the  rooms  beneath,  which  once  echoed 
to  the  tread  of  the  successful  Apache  fighter,  are  now  sold 
the  calicoes  and  cotton  goods  of  Lowell,  and  all  manner 
of  Yankee  notions.  The  great  Heintzelman  Mine,  the 
mines  of  Arivaca,  Sopori,  and  Santa  Rita,  are  within  a 
circle  of  twenty  miles  from  Tubac.  Three  miles  from 
Tubac  is  the  mission  of  Tumacacori.  Its  venerable  walls 
now  shelter  political  exiles  from  Sonora  and  a  few  enter- 
prising Germans,  and  its  rich  lands  are  cultivated  by  the 
American  squatter.  Twelve  miles  farther  up  the  Santa 
Cruz  is  the  ranch  of  Calabazas,  claimed  as  the  property 
of  the  Gandara  family,  of  Sonora.  The  extensive  build- 
ings are  occupied  by  American  families,  and  the  black- 
smith's forge  is  installed  in  a  room  once  dedicated  to 
more  delicate  uses. 

The  Sonoita  valley,  which  opens  into  the  Santa  Cruz 
near  Calabazas,  is  the  only  one  in  any  degree  protected 
by  the  United  States  troops.  It  is  about  fifty  miles  long, 
in  no  place  exceeding  a  mile  in  width,  and  generally  much 
narrower.  When  I  passed  up  it  to  Fort  Buchanan,  the 
whole  valley  w^as  golden  with  grain.  In  one  field  there 
w^ere  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  corn.  I  counted 
upon  four  stalks  eighteen  full-grown  ears,  and  the  aver- 
age height  of  the  stalks  was  fifteen  feet.  When  it  is 
born'^  in  mind  that  this  land  was  but  just  turned,  the  corn 
planted  and  neither  hoed  nor  suckered,  I  am  sure  it  will 
be  conceded  that  there  is  some  agricultural  land  of  value 
in  Arizona.  On  several  of  the  farms  two  crops  were 
raised  last  year,  wheat  and  corn,  wheat  and  beans,  and 
other  vegetables.  The  farmer  during  the  past  year  found 
a  ready  market  for  his  produce,  his  purchasers  being  the 
troops  and  the  Overland  Mail  Company.  This  valley  is 
almost  entirely  taken  up  by  an  intelligent  and  adventur- 
ous American  population;  and  here  is  almost  the  only 


Address  before  the  Geographical  /Society,  ISbd.      27 

place  in  Arizona  where  you  find  that  greatest  of  all  bless- 
ings on  the  frontier — American  women. 

The  Santa  Crnz  and  San  Pedro  approach  each  other 
near  the  Mexican  line;  and  by  way  of  Santa  Cruz  —  a 
Mexican  town  at  the  head  of  the  valley  in  Sonora  —  you 
can  pass  from  one  to  the  other  with  ease.  The  whole  re- 
gion between  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  Santa  Cruz  is 
broken  with  conical-shaped  hills  and  mountains,  called  by 
the  Mexicans  peloncillos.  At  the  foot  of  these  hills  are 
found  springs,  which  afforded  water  to  the  immense  herds 
of  cattle  and  horses  which  once  covered  the  country; 
and  at  many  of  these  springs  are  found  the  ruins  of  build- 
ings occupied  by  the  herders.  The  hills  are  covered  to 
the  top  with  the  gramma,  and  other  nutritious  grasses. 

Twenty  miles  east  of  the  Sonoita  valley,  and  just  north 
of  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz,  is  one  of  the  richest  silver  re- 
gions of  Arizona.  The  Wachupe  Mountain  is  believed  to 
be  inexhaustible  in  silver.  The  San  Antonio  and  Pata- 
gonia* mines,  lately  opened,  promise  a  rich  yield  to  their 
owners.  One  of  these  is  of  especial  value,  yielding,  be- 
sides a  large  percentage  of  silver,  53  per  cent,  of  lead, 
which  is  purchased  readily  by  the  surrounding  mining 
companies  to  be  used  in  reducing  their  ores.  The  once 
celebrated  Compadre  mines,  lately  rediscovered,  are  in 
this  vicinity.  The  present  fortunate  proprietors  found 
them  after  a  long  and  painful  search.  The  shafts  were 
found  carefully  concealed,  partially  filled  with  rubbish ; 
and  thirteen  fiirnaces  in  tolerable  preservation  prove  how 
extensively  the  mines  were  once  worked  by  the  Spaniards. 
Here,  as  in  the  whole  of  Arizona,  the  work  of  prospecting 
and  exploring  has  but  just  begun.  The  ores  of  this  dis- 
trict are  principally  argentiferous  galena. 

West  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  and  south  of  the  valley  of  the 
Gila  to  the  Colorado  River,  the  Territory  is  generally  an 

*  The  Patagonia  is  now  known  as  the  "  Mowry  Silver  Mines." 


28  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

irreclaimable  desert.  Its  mountains  abound  in  the  pre- 
cious metals,  and  a  sufficiency  of  water  for  mining  opera- 
tions can  be  usually  obtained  without  exorbitant  expense. 
The  celebrated  Ajo  copper  mine,  now  known  as  the  Ari- 
zona copper  mine,  is  in  this  district.  Mr.  Edward  E.  Dun- 
bar, whose  facile  pen  has  lately  presented  to  the  public, 
through  the  columns  of  the  Daily  Times^  some  lifelike 
sketches  of  this  portion  of  Arizona,  was  formerly  the  di- 
rector of  this  mine,  and  the  first,  I  believe,  to  demonstrate 
the  fact  that  water  could  be  obtained.  I  take  much 
pleasure  in  bearing  testimony  to  the  conscientious  regard 
for  truth  which  characterizes  Mr.  Dunbar's  statements ; 
and  although  I  am  forced  to  differ  with  him  in  some  of 
his  conclusions,  his  knowledge  of  the  country,  gained  by 
a  long  and  painful  experience,  entitle  his  opinion  to  much 
respect.  The  Arizona  Mine  will  one  day  prove  of  im- 
mense value ;  like  the  rest  of  the  mining  companies,  it 
needs  the  outlet  on  the  Gulf  of  California. 

The  valley  of  the  Colorado  is  fertile,  and  will  produce 
all  the  tropical  fruits  as  well  as  the  cereals.  The  Indians, 
favored  by  the  annual  overflow,  raise  abundant  crops  of 
wheat,  corn,  pumpkins,  melons,  and  beans.  The  remains 
of  extensive  irrigating  canals  show  that  at  some  day 
long  past  a  large  agricultural  population  lived  here.  The 
extreme  heat  of  the  climate  in  the  summer  months  will 
prevent  white  labor  from  agricultural  pursuits  to  any 
great  extent.  Rice,  sugar,  and  cotton  are  best  adapted 
to  the  soil  of  the  Colorado  bottom.  There  is  in  places 
along  the  bank  a  fine  growth  of  cotton  wood,  and  the 
whole  valley  abounds  with  the  mesquit.  This  is  the  only 
portion  of  the  Territory  where  the  heat  is  excessive. 

The  valley  of  the  Gila  River,  whose  waters,  flowing 
from  east  to  west,  divide  the  Territory  nearly  in  the  cen- 
tre, four  hundred  miles  long,  can  in  most  places  be  brought 
under  cultivation  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.     Since  the 


Address  before  the  Geographical  /Society,  1859.     29' 

discovery  of  gold,  a  number  of  farms  have  been  opened, 
and  hundreds  of  acres  of  rich  land  put  under  cultivation. 
The  Gila  empties  into  the  Colorado  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  miles  above  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Califor- 
nia. It  is  well  to  observe  here  that  the  difference  in  soil 
in  different  latitudes  has  not  been  sufficiently  appreciated. 
The  same  soil  which,  under  the  chmate  of  Oregon,  is  bar- 
ren and  worthless,becomes,  under  the  more  genial  sun  of 
Arizona,  fruitful,  and,  when  irrigated,  produces  the  same 
extraordinary  crops  as  are  found  in  California.  The  land 
cultivated  by  the  Pimos  on  the  Gila  seems  inexhaustible. 
Year  after  year  they  cultivate  the  same  crops  on  the  same 
land,  with  nothing  but  water  to  enrich  it,  and  there  is  no 
sign  of  failure. 

The  valley  known  as  La  Florida,  near  the  mountain  of 
the  same  name,  in  latitude  109°,  is  worthy  of  especial 
mention,  as  having  at  its  head  the  ruins  of  a  once  flour- 
ishing town.  A  large  population  will  again  occupy  it  at 
no  distant  day.  But  little  is  known  of  the  country  north 
of  the  Gila ;  it  is  very  mountainous,  but  contains  several 
valleys  of  considerable  size,  nearly  all  of  which  bear  the 
impress  of  an  ancient  and  superior  civihzation.  The  prin- 
cipal northern  tributaries  of  the  Gila  are  the  Salado,  the 
Tuberoso,  the  San  Carlos,  and  the  San  Francisco  (some- 
times called  the  Alamos).  The  Salado,  according  to  my 
informant,  Marcial,  an  Apache  chief,  has  six  small  branch- 
es, four  flowing  from  the  east,  two  from  the  west.  The 
Salado  is  the  largest  of  all  these  streams,  and  has  its  source 
about  latitude  34°,  in  the  Sierra  Blanca  Mountains.  On 
all  these  streams  the  Apache  Indian  cultivates  crops,  prin- 
cipally of  corn.  The  band  known  as  the  Coyetero,  Pinal, 
or  Sierra  Blanca,  cultivate  most,  although  they  have  had 
the  least  intercourse  with  the  whites. 

The  Indians  of  Arizona  are  best  classed  as  "  friendly" 
and  "  hostile.'*    The  friendly  Indians  are  the  Pimos,  Mar- 


30  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

icopas,  Papagos,  and  Yumas,  with  a  few  scattering,  miser- 
able tame  Apaches.  The  Pimos  and  Maricopas  occupy  a 
beautiful  and  fertile  tract  on  the  Gila,  one  hundred  and 
eighty  miles  from  its  junction  with  the  Colorado.  They 
are  a  brave  and  hospitable  race :  they-live  in  villages,  and 
cultivate  the  arts  of  peace.  Their  regular  fields,  well- 
made  irrigating  ditches,  and  beautiful  crops  of  cotton, 
wheat,  corn,  pumpkins,  melons,  and  beans,  have  not  only 
gladdened  the  eye,  but  also  given  timely  assistance  to  the 
thousands  of  emigrants  who  have  traversed  Arizona  on 
their  way  to  the  Pacific.  The  costume  of  the  Pimos  is 
extremely  simple,  only  covering  their  loins,  and  a  small 
straw  hat,  except  in  the  case  of  the  chiefs,  who  wear  a 
sort  of  pantaloon  of  coarse  cotton  cloth.  The  Pimos  and 
Apaches  wage  hereditary  and  fierce  war,  in  which  the  Pi- 
mos are  generally  the  victors.  So  high  were  their  serv- 
ices valued  by  the  Mexican  government  as  a  barrier  to  the 
incursions  of  the  Gila  Apaches,  that  whenever  they  visit- 
ed the  Mexican  towns,  the  authorities  treated  them  with 
marked  hospitality  and  kindness,  making  them  presents 
of  value,  to  be  paid  for  by  the  public  treasury.  Much  as 
we  pride  ourselves  upon  our  superior  government,  no 
measures*  have  been  taken  to  continue  our  friendly  rela- 
tions with  the  Pimos ;  and  to  our  shame  be  it  said,  it  is 
only  to  the  forbearance  of  these  Indians  that  we  owe  the 
safety  of  the  life  of  a  single  American  citizen  in  Central 
or  Western  Arizona,  or  the  carriage  of  the  mails  overland 
to  the  Pacific.  The  Maricopas  live  near  the  Pimos,  and 
by  contiguity  and  intermarriage  have  become  similar  in 
their  customs.  The  Papagos  resemble,  but  are  inferior  to 
the  Pimos,  do  not  cultivate  so  much,  and  live  in  scattered 
villages  in  the  central  and  western  parts  of  the  Territory. 
The  Apache — tribe  of  fatal  memory  for  Sonora  and  all 

*  The  United  States  government  have  since,  under  urgent  pressure 
of  the  writer,  made  some  small  appropriations  for  the  Pimos  Indians. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.     31 

Northern  Mexico,  are  best  classified  under  their  modern 
names :  the  Mescaleros,  east  of  the  Rio  Grande ;  the  Mim- 
bres,  Mogollones,  Chiracahuis,  Coyeteros  or  Pinaleros,  Si- 
erra Blanca,  and  the  Tontos.  In  the  order  I  have  men- 
tioned them,  west  from  the  Rio  Grande,  all  of  these  have 
their  homes  north  of  the  Gila,  except  the  Chiracahuis. 
Velasco  says  these  tribes  have  no  fixed  residence,  no 
common  society,  no  positive  antecedents ;  they  are  best 
compared  to  the  prairie  wolf,  sneaking,  cowardly,  revenge- 
ful, quick  to  assassinate  the  weak,  and  to  fly  from  or  yield 
to  the  strong.  It  is  impossible  for  one  who  has  not  seen 
Northern  Mexico  to  imagine  the  desolation  they  have 
made  in  a  country ^where  Nature  has  done  so  much.  The 
name  Infelix  Sonora — most  unhappy — given  by  all  the  old 
writers,  is  most  painfully  true :  from  the  Gila,  in  latitude 
32°  30',  to  Guaymas,  in  latitude  28°,  their  ravages  are 
every  where  visible.  Horrible  as  is  the  statement,  more 
than  one  fourth  of  the  Apaches  of  to-day  are  Mexican 
captives  or  their  descendants.  Not  only  ranches,  and  vil- 
lages, and  towns,  but  whole  districts,  have  been  depopu- 
lated, and  the  work  is  still  going  on.  In  small  parties, 
and  by  different  mountain  passes,  they  descend  into  Sono- 
ra, surprise  and  attack  a  train  of  travelers  or  a  town, 
massacre  the  men,  and  carry  off  the  women,  with  such 
booty  as  they  can  hastily  seize,  to  their  haunts  on  the 
Gila. 

I  have  obtained  from  Marcial,  a  leading  Apache  chief, 
and  still  a  Mexican,  much  valuable  information  respecting 
these  Indians.  He  had  been  carried  off  while  a  child,  and 
had  become,  like  his  captors,  savage.  Velasco*  says : 
"  Without  hesitation,  it  must  be  admitted  that  under  no 
good  treatment  does  the  Apache  yield  his  barbarism,  his 
perfidy,  or  his  atrocity ;  notwithstanding  the  many  treat- 
ies of  peace  made  with  the  Pueblos,  and  the  constant 

*  Noticias  y  Estadisticas  del  Estado  de  Sonora.     Jose  F.  Velasco. 


82  Arizona  and  So7iora. 

campaigns  against  them,  upon  the  first  opportunity  they 
break  faith,  and  become  worse  than  before.  Though  it  is 
incontrovertible  that  the  Apaches  are  the  most  ferocious 
tribe  on  our  border,  yet  the  same  may  be  said  even  of 
those  who,  from  the  time  of  the  conquest,  belong  among 
us ;  they  call  themselves  pacific,  yet  have  never,  generally 
speaking,  had  sympathy  with  the  whites ;  they  have  not 
adopted  our  manners  and  customs,  nor  have  we  existing 
between  us  that  confidence  which  inspires  a  same  race, 
when  they  profess  the  same  principles  of  social  ties;  in 
fact,  during  the  whole  period  of  time  that  they  have  been 
subordinates  of  our  government,  they  have  followed  a 
system  of  contradiction  and  opposition  against  it  as  far 
as  they  were  able.  The  unequivocal  proof  of  this  truth 
have  been  the  frequent  assaults  that  they  have  made  upon 
us  under  the  pretext  of  foolish  stories  with  which  they 
were  misled,  and  sometimes  without  any  cause  at  all." 

The  whole  number  of  Apache  warriors  does  not  exceed 
two  thousand.  I  have  investigated  this  subject  with 
probably  more  care  than  any  other  person,  and  am  satis- 
fied the  number  is  rather  under  than  over  the  truth.  Be- 
ing cowardly,  they  are  afraid  of  Americans,  and  do  not 
murder.*  Their  depredations  in  our  territory  are  mostly 
confined  to  stealing  cattle,  horses,  and  mules.  Arizona 
will  have  no  peace,  and  her  great  wealth  as  a  pastoral  re- 
gion must  remain  undeveloi3ed,  until  the  War  Depart- 
ment sends  a  strong  force,  and  reduces  them  by  fear  of 
absolute  submission.  They  must  be  fed  by  the  govern- 
ment, or  exterminated.  They  know  no  alternative  but 
to  steal  or  starve ;  and  Northern  Mexico  has  been  their 
prey  for  too  many  years  for  them  to  learn  the  arts  of 
peace. 

The   Navajoes   are   included  by  Velasco    among  the 

*  Since  this  address  was  delivered,  information  has  been  received 
of  the  murder  of  several  Americans  by  the  Apaches. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.     33 

Apaches.  They  live  in  New  Mexico  along  the  34th  par- 
allel of  north  latitude.  The  Yumas,  the  remains  of  a  once 
powerful  tribe,  live  on  the  Colorado,  near  the  Gila ;  they 
are  quiet ;  sufficiently  agricultural  to  subsist.  A  few 
years  will  leave  them  only  their  name. 

The  climate  of  Arizona,  except  on  the  Lower  Gila  and 
the  Colorado,  is  delicious ;  never  extremely  hot,  with  cool 
summer  nights,  it  offers  great  attractions  to  those  who 
desire  more  genial  skies  than  those  of  the  North.  Snow 
never  lies  in  the  winter  —  seldom  falls ;  frost  is  rare, 
though  the  nights  are  often  cold,  seldom  freezing.  The 
season  for  cultivating  is  long,  fruits  blooming  in  February 
and  March.  Cotton,  corn,  wheat,  barley,  tobacco,  melons, 
grapes,  peaches,  and  all  the  vegetables,  yield  profuse  crops 
throughout  the  Territory.  The  grape  of  the  Kio  Grande 
valley  has  no  superior,  and  wine  of  good  quality  is  manu- 
factured from  it.  The  rainy  season  in  Arizona  is  from 
June  to  September  inclusive. 

Professor  Henry  has,  I  believe,  "demonstrated"  that  no 
rain  falls  in  Arizona  or  Sonora.  I  have  not  seen  his  pa- 
per, but  understand  it  is  a  beautiful  theory.  It  is  much 
to  be  regretted,  for  his  sake,  although  not  for  the  country, 
that  the  facts  are  against  it.  Cultivation  in  Arizona  is 
by  irrigation.  It  is  believed,  by  those  who  are  capable 
of  judging,  that,  with  subsoil  plowing,  good  crops  can  be 
obtained  without  irrigation,  and  the  results  of  one  year 
are  quoted  in  support  of  the  theory.  It  will  take  a  series 
of  years  to  prove  it  satisfactorily  to  the  farmer.  The 
yield  throughout  Arizona  is  two  crops  from  the  same 
land  each  year. 

The  population  of  Arizona  to-day  [1858]  exceeds  ten 
thousand  souls,  exclusive  of  Indians ;  two  thirds  of  it  is 
established  on  the  Rio  Grande,  in  the  towns  of  Mesilla, 
Las  Cruces,  La  Mesa,  Don  Ana,  Amoles,  Santo  Tomas, 
Santa  Barbara,  Pichacho,  and  the  surrounding  ranches, 

B2 


34  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

including  the  floating  population  of  the  Gila  gold  mines. 
The  American  population  of  the  Territory  is  not  far  from 
two  thousand.  This  is  vastly  increasing,  and  the  ensuing 
spring  will  see  it  vastly  increased.  The  gold  discoveries, 
the  Overland  Mail,  which  runs  throughout  the  entire 
length  of  Arizona,  the  lai-ge  amount  of  capital  invested  in 
the  silver  mines,  together  with  the  increasing  movement 
westward  of  our  people,  will  add  largely  to  the  already 
vigorous  and  enterprising  population  of  the  new  Terri- 
tory. It  must  be  added  that  there  is  no  law  or  j^rotec- 
tion  from  the  government :  every  man  redresses  his 
wrongs  with  the  pistol  or  knife,  or  submits  in  silence. 

The  Gadsden  Purchase  was  not  originally  an  integral 
part  of  Mexico :  it  was  acquired  years  after  the  treaty  of 
Guadaloupe  Hidalgo,  and  was  only  attached  to  the  Ter- 
ritory of  New  Mexico  as  a  temporary  expedient.  It 
must  also  be  remembered  that  the  Gadsden  Purchase, 
with  that  portion  of  New  Mexico  which  it  is  proposed  to 
include  within  the  limits  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  is 
separated  from  New  Mexico  proper  by  natural  bounda- 
ries ;  that  it  derives  no  benefit  from  the  present  connec- 
tion ;  and  that  any  opposition  to  the  desired  legislation 
arises  from  the  Mexican  population,  which  fears  the  influ- 
ence of  a  large  American  emigration.  Moreover,  that 
New  Mexico  contains  upward  of  200,000  square  miles,  and 
that  its  organic  act  provides  for  its  partition;  showing 
clearly  th^t  Congress  anticipated  at  no  remote  day  the 
settlement  of  the  country  by  an  American  population,  and 
its  erection  into  several  territories  and  states.  The  only 
efl'ect  of  the  present  connection  of  Arizona  with  New 
Mexico  is  to  crush  out  the  voice  and  sentiment  of  the 
American  people  in  the  Territory ;  and  years  of  emigra- 
tion under  present  auspices  would  not  serve  to  counter- 
balance or  equal  the  influence  of  the  60,000  Mexican  resi- 
dents of  New  Mexico.     New  Mexico  has  never  encour- 


Address  before  the  Geographical  /Societi/,  I S59.     35 

aged  American  population.     She  is  thoroughly  Mexican! 
in  sentiment,  and  desires  to  remain  so.  | 

As  a  matter  of  state  policy,  the  organization  of  Arizona 
is  of  the  first  importance.  Situated  between  New  Mexi- 
co and  Sonora,  it  is  possible  now  to  make  it  a  thoroughly 
American  state,  which  will  constantly  exert  its  influence 
in  both  directions  to  nationalize  the  other  two.  New 
Mexico  is  at  present  thoroughly  Mexican  in  its  character  '* 
and  vote.  Sonora,jLf  we  acquire  it  at  once,  will  be  the 
same.  By  separating  Arizona  from  it,  and  encouraging 
an  American  emigration,  it  will  become  the  "  leaven  ^ 
w^hich  shall  leaven  the  whole  lump."  By  allowing  it  to 
remain  attached  to  New  Mexico,  or  by  attaching  it  to 
Sonora  when  acquired,  the  American  influence  will  be 
swallowed  up  in  the  great  preponderance  of  the  Mexican 
vote.  The  Apache  Indian  is  preparing  Sonora  for  the 
rule  of  a  higher  civilization  than  the  Mexican.  In  the 
past  half  century  the  Mexican  element  has  disappeared 
from  what  is  now  called  Arizona,  before  the  devastatingi 
career  of  the  Apache.  It  is  every  day  retreating  farther.; 
south,  leaving  to  us  (when  it  is  ripe  for  our  possession), 
the  territory  without  the  popxilation.  I 

The  American  population  is  mostly  concentrated  in  the 
centre  of  the  Territory,  in  and  near  the  Santa  Cruz  valley, 
and  on  the  lower  Gila,  at  the*f  old  mines.  The  Overland 
Mail  Company,  by  the  establishment  of  their  stations  at 
intervals  rarely  exceeding  twenty  miles,  have  much  facili- 
tated intercourse  and  travel ;  and  the  emigration  of  this 
year  will  cluster  around  these  stations,  pouring  a  line  of 
villages  across  the  continent — in  the  language  of  the  Pres- 
ident, "  a  chain  of  American  citizens  which  will  never  be 
broken."  The  establishment  of  the  Overland  Mail  is  not 
only  one  of  the  great  triumphs  of  the  age,  but  it  is  an  ele- 
ment of  civilization  which  none  appreciates  but  the  front- 
iersman. 


36  Arizona  and  /Sonora. 

The  ores  of  copper  found  in  Arizona  and  Sonora  are 
usually  the  sulphurets,  principally  gray.  The  ores  of  sil- 
ver are  argentiferous  galena,  native  silver,  auriferous  sul- 
phuret  of  silver,  black  sulphuret  of  silver,  sulphate  of  sil- 
ver, sulphate  of  iron  combined.  The  gangue  is  usually 
quartz  or  feldspar.  I  have  before  me  many  notes  de- 
scriptive of  various  mineral  localities,  even  to  minuteness, 
but  the  limits  of  this  address  will  not  permit  especial 
mention  of  them. 

The  development  of  the  mineral  wealth  of  Arizona  has 
but  just  commenced,  yet  enough  has  been  done  to  give  a 
brilliant  promise  for  the  future.  The  Sonora  Company, 
under  the  direction  of  Charles  D.  Poston,  Esq.,  and  more 
lately  under  that  of  Major  Heihtzelman,  of  the  army,  have 
expended  a  large  capital  in  opening  and  prospecting  their 
rich  possessions.  The  Heintzelman  Mine — so  called  after 
the  president  of  the  company — bids  fair  to  become  more 
famous  than  any  of  the  great  mines  of  old  Mexico.  From 
a  late  letter  it  is  claimed  that  the  ores  thus  far  smelted 
yield  the  astonishing  average  of  $950  per  ton.  I  saw  this 
mine  in  September  of  last  year.  About  two  hundred 
tons  of  the  ore  had  already  been  extracted,  and  the  yield 
from  one  small  furnace  was  about  one  thousand  ounces 
per  week.  At  a  cost  of  $30,000  the  company  have 
brought  from  San  Francisib  and  erected  amalgamating 
works,  from  which  they  expect  to  obtain  $3000  per  day — 
a  million  a  year.  This  mine  has  the  most  extraordinary 
reputation  throughout  Sonora.  I  found,  in  traveling 
through  the  state,  that  almost  every  shopkeeper  knew 
the  value  of  the  ore.  It  was  obtained  from  the  miners, 
who  had  stolen,  and  sold  or  exchanged  it  for  goods.  The 
Sopori*  Mine,  which  has  only  been  worked  in  a  small 
way,  promises  also  a  rich  yield.  I  have  cut  with  a  pen- 
knife native  silver  from  ore  taken  from  the  Sopori. 
*  See  Appendix. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society,  1859.     37 

San  Antonio  and  Patagonia  have  been  already  men- 
tioned, as  well  as  the  Compadre  Mines.  Many  others  are 
known  to  exist,  and  their  owners  are  only  waiting  for  the 
protection  of  a  Territorial  government  to  commence  work. 
Others  are  deterred  by  want  of  capital.  Several  hundred 
thousand  dollars  have  already  been  invested  in  mines  in 
Arizona,  and  several  companies  are  now  forming. .  It  is 
my  profound  belief  that  the  most  colossal  fortunes  this 
country  has  ever  known  will  be  made  from  the  mines 
of  Arizona  and  Sonora.  The  Santa  Rita  copper  mine, 
near  the  Mimbres,  has  already  been  mentioned,  as  has  the 
Arizona.  On  the  Colorado,  forty  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Gila,  on  navigable  waters,  a  copper  mine  is  being 
efficiently  worked.  It  promises  to  be  inexhaustible,  and, 
from  its  advantageous  position,  must  be  immensely  valua- 
ble. The  ore  contains  a  percentage  of  gold.  Silver  has 
also  been  found  on  the  Colorado,  also  gold  quartz.  On 
the  Gila  copper  is  abundant.  In  fact,  the  Territory  of 
Arizona  seems  inexhaustible  in  minerals.  Iron,  copper, 
silver,  and  gold  are  found  in  hundreds  of  localities.  A 
plumbago  mine  was  discovered  during  the  past  year. 
Quicksilver  is  the  only  metal  of  which  no  mention  has 
yet  been  made.  I  do  not  know  of  any  in  the  Territory, 
though  its  existence  is  probable. 

Of  the  great  extent  of  the  gold  region  of  Arizona  there 
can  be  no  doubt.  The  late  discovery  of  placers,  or  sur- 
face diggings,  on  the  Gila,  has  long  been  anticipated. 
Emory,  in  1849,  expressed  his  belief  in  its  existence. 
Many  an  emigrant,  on  his  way  to  California,  has  found 
"the  color."  Senator  Gwin  informs  me  that  he  heard 
of  gold  on  the  Gila  from  emigrants  at  San  Diego  in  1849. 
All  the  frontiersmen  and  trappers  unite  in  saying  that 
coarse  gold  is  found  in  the  streams  north  of  the  Gila. 
Marcial,  the  Apache  chief  before  mentioned,  told  me  the 
same.    That  gold  in  quartz  veins  exists  in  many  parts 


38  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

of  the  Territory,  we  know,  not  only  from  ancient  record 
and  tradition,  but  from  actual  observation  and  experi- 
ment. A  vein  has  been  opened,  and,  as  soon  as  it  is  safe, 
will  be  worked,  in  the  Apache  Pass,  four  hundred  miles 
east  of  the  present  placers.  Almost  every  silver  and  cop- 
per vein  yet  opened  shows,  by  close  analysis,  a  trace  of 
gold.  ^  In  the  Sopori  Mine  it  has  gone  as  high  as  three 
per  cent.  At  the  Santa  Rita  del  Cobre,  the  Mexican 
miners,  after  their  day's  labor  is  over  in  the  mine,  Avork 
the  placers  in  the  vicinity,  making  sure  but  small  wages. 
Tradition  tells  us  that  many  years  since  the  ores  of  this 
mine  were  so  rich  in  gold  as  to  pay  transportation  to  the 
city  of  Mexico  on  mule-back.  A  gold  placer  is  believed 
to  exist  near  a  Papago  village  south  of  Tucson.  The  evi- 
dence of  rich  gold  placers  in  northern  Sonora  is  indisput- 
able. Work  in  them  has  nearly  or  quite  ceased  on  ac- 
count of  the  Apaches,  but  the  record  of  their  past  yield 
is  enormous. 

The  facts  in  reference  to  the  present  condition  of  the 
Gila  gold  mines  in  Arizona  are  simply  these :  At  a  point 
on  the  Gila  Kivqr,  about  twenty  miles  from  its  junction 
with  the  Colorado,  and  in  a  succession  of  sand  hills,  gold 
was  discovered  in  September,  1858.  The  emigrants  who 
were  still  on  their  way  stopped,  and,  the  news  reaching 
California,  others  came  in.  I  visited  the  gold  mines  early 
in  November,  and  found  about  one  hundred  men  and  sev- 
eral families.  A  town  called  Gila  City  had  already  been 
laid  out,  and  temporary  houses  of  brush  and  adobe  were 
in  the  course  of  erection.  I  examined  carefully  for  my- 
self, and  found  that  several  men  could  afford  to  pay  la- 
borers three  dollars  per  day  and  their  board  to  work  for 
them.  I  saw  more  than  twenty  dollars  washed  out  of 
eight  shovelfuls  of  dirt,  and  this  in  the  rudest  manner, 
and  by  an  unpracticed  hand.  I  saw  several  men  whom 
I  knew  well  would  not  have  been  there  had  they  not  been 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.     39 

doing  well,  who  told  me  they  had  made  from  $30  to  $125 
per  day  each.  I  purchased  about  $300  in  gold  dust  out 
of  a  lot  of  more  than  $2000.  A  portion  of  this  dust  is 
here,  if  any  one  is  curious  enough  to  wish  to  see  it.  Sev- 
eral hundred  men  have  come  into  the  mines  since  I  left 
Arizona.  My  letters  gave  me  no  reason  to  suppose  the 
mines  have  given  out  or  shown  any  signs  of  failure.* 

The  country  at  this  point  is  not  inviting,  and  there  are 
always  at  any  gold  diggings  men  who  do  not  and  will 
not  work,  and  who,  if  they  can  not  make  a  living  by  gam- 
bling, or  feeding  on  some  one  else,  depreciate  the  coun- 
try. Gold  digging  is  the  hardest  of  all  work,  and  very 
precarious  in  the  richest  mines.  A  man  who  is  earning 
a  comfortable  subsistence  at  home  should  hesitate  long 
about  giving  it  up  for  gold  hunting.  The  old  discoveries 
of  gold  on  the  Spanish  trail  from  Utah  to  California  in 
1850,  the  later  one  in  Kansas,  at  Pike's  Peak,  and  in  Ari- 
zona, together  with  the  well-known  placers  of  Sonora, 
establish  conclusively  the  fact  of  the  existence  of  gold, 
throughout  a  great  belt  of  the  continent  from  north  to 
south.  I  am  indebted  to  the  Hon.  George  Bancroft  for 
a  copy  of  a  curious  and  rare  letter,  which  is  not  out  of 
place  to  mention  here.  It  is  dated  at  Madrid  in  1769, 
and  is  addressed  to  the  Duke  de  Choiseul,  minister  of 
foreign  affairs  for  France,  by  the  French  embassador  to 
the  court  of  Spain.     He  says: 

{Extract) 

"  Madrid,  6  Fevrier,  1769. 
"M.  Galves  qui  a  passe  dans  les  Californies,  a  aussi 
mande  qu'elles  abrondent  en  mines  d'or  et  d'argent,  et  que 
ces  provinces  que  I'Espagne  ne  connaissait,  pour  ainsi 

*  The  promise  of  gold  placers  has  been  fully  realized  on  the  Colora- 
do and  north  of  the  Gila,  although  the  point  of  first  discovery  has  been 
worked  out,  or  rather  deserted  for  richer  districts  in  1863  and  1864. 


40  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

dire,  que  de  nom,  pourront,  dans  la  suite,  produire  une 
augmentation  de  revenue,  fort  considerable. 

"  (Signe),  OssuN." 

{Translatio7i.) 

•'Madrid,  Feb.  6th,  1769. 
"  M.  Galves,  who  has  traveled  in  the  Californias,  has 
also  stated  that  they  abound  in  mines  of  gold  and  silver, 
and  that  these  provinces  that  Spain  has  known,  so  to 
speak,  only  by  name,  will  be  able  in  the  future  to  produce 
a  very  considerable  augmentation  of  revenue. 

"  (Signed),  OssuN." 

The  conclusions  to  be  drawn  from  the  facts  I  haVe  thus 
hastily  set  forth  are  these:  That  while  Arizona  can  not 
be  called  an  agricultural  state,  she  has  a  sufficiency  of  ar- 
able land  to  support  a  large  population ;  that  as  a  grazing 
and  pastural  region  she  has  unsurpassed  advantages ;  but 
her  great  wealth  is  found  in  her  inexhaustible  mineral 
resources.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  if  Arizona  to- 
day did  not  contain  a  single  acre  of  arable  land,  her  gold 
and  silver,  her  copper,  and  iron,  and  lead,  would  some 
day  make  her  one  of  the  wealthiest  of  the  states  of  the 
Union. 

Sonora,  of  which  Western  Arizona  once  formed  a  part, 
is  so  closely  connected  in  interest  with  Arizona  that  a 
brief  mention  of  her  resources  and  condition  is  necessary 
to  my  subject. 

Sonora  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Arizona,  on  the  east 
by  the  Sierra  Madre  range  of  mountains,  which  separate 
it  from  Chihuahua,  on  the  south  by  the  River  Fuerte, 
which  separates  it  from  Sinaloa,  and  on  the  west  by  tlie 
Gulf  of  California  and  the  Colorado  River,  which  sepa- 
rate it  from  Lower  California.    Its  capital  is  now  Hermo- 


Address  be/ore  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.     41 

gillo,  was  formerly  TJres,*  and,  more   anciently,  Arizpe. 
This  state  is  at  present  virtually  independent.     The  gov- 
ernment is  vested  in  a  governor,  elected  by  the  people, 
and  a  Legislature,  consisting  of  but   one  house.     Some 
years  past  the  property  owners  looked  forward  to  annex- 
ation to  the  United  States  as  an  inevitable  event.    The  / 
civil  war  has  put  an  end  to  these  ideas,  and  peace  having  ' 
been  established  at  home,  Sonora  looks  to  herself,  with  | 
the  incidental  help  given  by  foreign  capital  and  emigra-  1 
tion,  for  her  regeneration  and  future  greatness.     That  j 
this  reliance  is  well  founded,  the  vast  improvement  in  the  I 
past  year  is  a  sure  indication.  / 

In  the  preliminary  advertisement  to  JLas  JVbticias  £Js- 
tadisticas  de  Sonora^  by  Don  Jose  F.  Velasco,  a  work 
from  which  I  have  freely  quoted,  the  author  says : 

"  It  is  necessary  to  say,  without  equivocation,  that  if 
there  be  any  state  among  those  which  compose  the  Re- 
public of  Mexico  of  which  it  is  difficult  to  present  exact 
statistics,  that  state  is  undoubtedly  Sonora.  Populated 
by  an  indigenous  people,  disseminated  over  the  whole 
state,  without  laws  or  politics,  and  mingled  with  the  na- 
tion of  which  it  forms  a  part,  it  is  very  difficult  to  ascer- 
tain its  numbers  from  its  chiefs.  It  is  for  this  reason 
that  I  have  been  only  able  to  give  approximately  the 
number  of  inhabitants.  I  have  only  undertaken  a  work 
that  at  least  approximates  toward  the  truth,  limiting  my- 
self to  certain  notices  which  may  give  light  to  other 
writers  on  the  same  subject." 

The  state  of  Sonora,  thus  called  by  its  earliest  people 
of  whom  we  have  any  knowledge,  derives  its  name,  ac- 
cording to  the  best  authorities,  from  So7iot^  an  Opata  In- 
dian word,  which  means  Senora^  or  Madam.  The  Con- 
quistadores  were  treated  with  great  hospitality  by  the 
Opata  Indians  while  visiting  their  rancherias  or  villages. 
*  The  capital  is  again  fixed  at  Ures. 


42  Arizona  and  iSonora. 

As  a  mark  of  friendship,  the  Indians  strove  to  imitate  the 
Spanish  pronunciation  JSenora,  instead  of  using  their  own 
word  Senot,  from  which  arose  the  corrupted  word  Sono- 
ra.  Sonora  has  been  divided,  by  various  writers,  into 
Upper  and  Lower  Sonora — into  Pimeria  Alta  and  Pime- 
ria  Baja;  and  still  farther  into  the  subdivisions  of  Arizpe, 
Cieneguilla,  and  Horcasitas  in  the  north,  with  Hostimuri, 
Alamos,  and  the  Pueblas  of  the  Mayo  and  Yaqui  in  the 
south.  The  state  formerly  included  Sinaloa,  from  which 
it  was  separated  in  1830.  It  is  said  to  be  a  part  of  the 
plan  of  the  present  governor,  Pesqueira,  to  again  unite 
these  states  as  the  basis  of  a  new  confederacy.* 

The  people  of  Sonora  are  generally  docile,  and,  making 
allowance  for  the  bad  system  of  government  and  the 
great  misery  in  which  they  are  found,  are  obedient  to  the 
constituted  authorities :  in  fact,  this  remarkable  docility 
amounts  to  weakness  of  character,  and  which  ambitious 
revolutionary  chiefs  have  taken  advantage  of  to  forward 
their  own  views.  For  many  years  there  has  been  much 
suffering  from  revolutions  and  Indian  depredations,  and 
without  hope,  until  now,  for  the  better,  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  the  Sonoranese  lost  his  energy  of  character.  He 
gambled  to  divert  himself  and  pass  away  time,  and,  Avith- 
out  hope  for  the  future,  he  allowed  things  to  take  their 
course  —  a  perfect  fatalist.  Some  become  desperate,  and 
take  unlawful  measures  to  better  their  condition.  It  is 
an  unquestionable  fact  that  the  association  Avith  Ameri- 
cans, regular  labor  and  assured  employment,  dependent 
upon  good  behavior,  is  fast  regenerating  the  Sonoranese. 
The  miners  and  farm  laborers  show  great  ambition  to 
emulate  the  work  of  an  American,  and  to  prove  that  they 
can  do  as  much  in  the  same  time.  It  only  requires  a 
skillful  hand  and  a  good  government  to  make  the  shift- 

*  Not  confivrned,  A  close  alliance,  however,  exists  between  the 
governments  of  the  two  states. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.     43 

less  Sonoranese  of  tlie  present  day  a  useful  member  of 
society.  Comparatively  few  educated  men  are  found  in 
Sonora — a  common  education  consisting  of  reading  and 
writing,  and  I  believe  that  in  the  whole  i^opulation  it  does 
not  exceed  ten  per  cent,  more,  particularly  in  the  frontier 
towns.  A  leading  trait  in  their  character  is  hospitality, 
and  "  let  the  morrow  take  care  of  itself"  is  a  common 
expression  in  their  mouths.  He  will  share  his  last  mouth- 
ful, and  considers  it  a  matter  of  course  for  the  stranger 
to  take  his  place  at  his  board.  The  women  are  kind- 
hearted,  obedient  to  their  husbands,  who  rule  them  gen- 
erally with  a  rod  of  iron.  "  Strong-minded"  women  are 
not  known,  and  usually  peace  reigns  in  their  homes. 

Sonora,  for  the  most  part,  is  mountainous,  watered  by 
several  small  rivers,  abundant  in  mineral  wealth ;  in  fact, 
is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  richest  states  of  the  Mex- 
ican dominion.  There  is  a  sufficiency  of  agricultural 
land  to  maintain  a  large  population ;  but  the  true  rich- 
ness of  Sonora  consists  in  its  mines  of  silver  and  gold, 
and  the  great  facilities  for  raising  stock.  The  mines  at 
present  are  but  little  worked,  owing  to  the  Apaches  and 
revolutions ;  but,  laboring  under  all  these  disadvantages, 
she  is  still  able  to  export  annually  several  millions  of  dol- 
lars in  silver  bars  and  gold  dust,  large  quantities  of  stock 
to  California  and  the  Territory  of  Arizona;  also  flour  to 
the  adjoining  state  of  Sinaloa. 

The  most  famous  mines  and  mining  districts  (minerals) 
are  those  of  Alamos,  situated  in  the  district  of  that  name, 
and  property  of  the  Almadas,  Gomez  y  Urreas;  mine  of 
Subiate,  near  Hermosillo,  property  of  the  Monteverdes ; 
"mineral"  of  San  Xavier,  San  Marcial,  St.  Teresa  de  Jesus, 
property  of  Ynigo,  Cubillas  &  Co. ;  the  famous  mine  or 
mineral  of  Babacanora,  at  present  worked  by  a  French 
company ;  mine  of  Baramachi,  the  richest  mine  discover- 
ed within  the  last  two  years,  having  yielded  1 1000  to  the 


44  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

nine  hundred  weight  of  ore  and  very  abundant  in  ore — 
at  present  the  yield  is  not  so  great;  mine  of  Corral  Viejo, 
gold,  silver,  and  lead;  La  Cananea,  silver,  copper,  and 
lead ;  La  Guachuca ;  las  Planchas  de  Plata  * 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain  of  Babacanora, 
at  the  distance  of  about  a  league  and  a  half,  is  found  the 
Real  del  Carmen,  celebrated  for  its  great  mine  of  that 
name,  and  which  has  been  worked  to  a  great  extent.  It 
still  yields  a  good  profit  to  the  "  Gambiissino,''^  a  sort  of 
mining  filibuster,  who  works  regardless  of  the  future  of  the 
mine.  Ores  are  still  found  which  yield  from  ten  to  twen- 
!  ty  marcs  to  the  carga.  The  ores  are  native  silver,  aurif- 
erous silver,  gangue,  quartz.  This  mine  was  worked  in 
the  first  years  of  the  Spanish  conquest  of  Mexico  by  Her- 
nan  Cortez,  in  later  years  by  a  company  of  Spaniards, 
who  found  a  chart  and  description  of  the  mines  in  the  ar- 
chives of  Mexico.  It  is  remembered  by  the  oldest  inhab- 
itant of  Sinoquipe  that  native  silver,  six  inches  wide,  Avas 
cut  out  of  the  vein  and  melted  in  the  refining  furnace 
without  more  treatment  than  a  lead  bath.  This  company, 
owing  to  the  changes  which  took  place  in  the  Mexican 
territory,  stopped  work,  carrying  ofi*  with  them  several 
trains  of  mules  loaded  with  silver;  the  mine  then  partly 
filled  with  water,  and  the  gambussinos,  who  have  been 
and  are  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  so  many  good 
mines,  commenced  operations,  cutting  out  the  upper  pil- 
lars and  supports,  and  in  a  short  time  the  mine  fell  in, 
leaving  treasure  to  an  enormous  amount  buried  in  the 
ruins ;  in  later  days  shafts  have  been  sunk  on  the  same 
lode,  worked,  and  ores  rich  in  silver  have  been  encounter- 
ed, paying  from  fifteen  to  twenty  marcs  to  the  nine  cwt. 
In  the  rubbish  which  was  thrown  out  of  the  old  mine,  a 
comfortable  subsistence  is  gained  by  washing  in  bateas — 

*  See  a  subsequent  chapter  for  a  full  description  of  several  Sonora 
mines. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  iSociety^  1859.      45 

quantities  of  grain  silver  being  found  which,  refined  in 
the  furnace,  yield  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  per  cent, 
pure  metal.  This,  and  several  other  mines  of  Sonora, 
have  been  abandoned,  not  from  the  ores  having  failed  or 
depreciated  in  value,  but  from  the  want  of  energy  in  the 
Mexican  race.  The  mines  in  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards 
yielded  enormous  profits  to  the  miner ;  they  were  men 
of  indomitable  enterprise,  who  employed  capital,  science, 
and  spared  no  expense  to  succeed  in  their  adventures; 
whereas  the  Mexican  is  poor,  without  energy,  and  too 
lazy  to  trust  or  help  himself.  Formerly,  Sonora  the  rich 
was  a  proverb ;  now,  Sonora  the  poor  is  a  stubborn  fact 
— but  not  from  the  want  of  the  elements  of  richness. 
These  once  developed,  she  will  once  more  become  Sonora 
the  rich,  and  may  be  great. 

"In  the  Real  of  Babacanora,"  writes  John  Denton  Hall, 
Esq.,  to  whom  I  make  grateful  acknowledgments  for  many 
of  the  facts  connected  with  Sonora, "  a  miner  is  enchant- 
ed, and  his  hopes  raised  by  seeing  the  beautiful  formation 
which  the  whole  district  presents,  more  particularly  that 
portion  which  comprises  the  '  Sierra  del  Oregano,'  which, 
viewed  from  the  houses,  presents  a  magnificent  spectacle. 
My  poor  pen  can  not  do  it  justice,  so  I  shall  content  my- 
self in  stating  a  few  facts  concerning  it  which  came  to 
my  knowledge :  Veins  of  ore  rich  in  silver  are  known  to 
exist,  from  the  fact  of  ore  being  found  in  several  parts  of 
the  mountain.  Many  capitals  have  been  invested  and 
lost  in  speculations  utterly  worthless;  whereas  a  small 
one,  invested  in  making  a  good  search  and  prospect  of  this 
mountain,  would  not  be  lost.  This  statement  I  make  aft- 
er many  years  mining  experience ;  myself  and  many  oth- 
er miners  who  know  the  mountain  will  stake  our  credit 
on  many  tons  of  precious  metal  being  hid  in  its  interior. 
The  formation  clay  state — the  richest  in  Sonora — the  fact 
of  rich  ore  having  been  found  on  its  sides  and  ravines, 


46  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

and  the  number  of  rich  mines  in  the  vicinity,  all  lead  me 
to  suppose  such  to  be  the  case.  The  mines  on  mines  of 
El  Oregano  must  wait  until  some  adventurous  miner  will 
expend  a  thousand  or  two  to  enrich  himself  with  mil- 
lions. 

"Mention  has  been  made  of  an  ancient  population. 
On  making  particular  inquiries  respecting  them,  I  find 
that  they  are  common  in  all  j^arts  of  the  Sonora  River, 
and  even  on  the  River  Gila.  The  River  Sonora,  from  its 
length,  quantity  of  water,  and  abundance  of  cultivable 
land,  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  maintain  a  large  population. 
Many  of  the  ruins  are  of  great  extent,  covering  "whole  ta- 
ble-lands, proving  that  in  former  times  Sonora  was  much 
more  thickly  peopled  than  at  present.  Undoubtedly  some 
regularity  was  observed  in  laying  out  these  towns.  In 
one  I  found  what  appeared  to  have  been  a  fort ;  by  its 
position  it  was  well  calculated  for  defense.  Unfortunate- 
ly, no  docum-ents  exist  from  which  dates  could  be  taken, 
the  archives,  and  all  belonging  to  the  mission,  having  been 
destroyed  at  the  time  the  Jesuits  were  expelled.  It  is  a 
known  fact  here,  and  I  believe  in  many  other  countries, 
that  the  order  of  Jesuits  have  done  more  toward  civiliza- 
tion among  the  Indians  than  any  other  religious  order  in 
existence.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  case  in  Sonora;  the 
ruins  they  have  left  behind  them  prove  that  they  were 
equal  to  the  task  they  undertook;  and  among  the  old 
people  their  kindness  and  wisdom  are  still  remembered 
and  talked  of.         *         *        *         *         * 

"  The  tradition  is  current  here,  and  in  all  parts  of  the 
Opata  nation,  that  the  great  Montezuma  was  the  chief  of 
their  tribe,  and  a  great  warrior.  After  subjecting  the 
other  tribes  to  his  rule,  he  determined  on  building  himself 
a  city  to  live  in  on  the  River  Gila — in  Casas  Blancas.  He 
commenced  operations:  not  liking  the  situation,  or  being 
somewhat  disturbed  in  his  work  by  the  Apaches  —  the 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society ^IQbQ.    ^7 

only  tribe  which  had  not  submitted  to  his  rule,  joined  to 
the  bad  omens  observed  by  the  priests  —  he  determined 
to  travel  in  search  of  a  good  location,  favored  by  his  gods. 
At  the  time  of  commencing  his  new  journey,  an  eagle 
was  observed  to  be  hovering  over  the  camp ;  orders  were 
given  to  observe  the  bird's  flight,  and  its  resting-place 
ascertained ;  his  commands  were  obeyed  implicitly,  and 
the  eagle  was  found  in  the  Lake  of  Mexico,  perched  on 
an  opal,  with  a  rattlesnake  in  its  beak.  Here  Montezuma 
founded  the  city  of  Mexico,  which  would  have  remained 
in  his  possession  up  to  the  present  date  if  Hernan  Cortez 
and  his  gallant  adventurers  had  not  disturbed  his  calcula- 
tions in  a  most  important  manner.  Such  is  the  tradition, 
and  it  is  considered  heresy  among  the  Opatas  not  to  be- 
lieve it.  Eagle,  snake,  and  opal  is  the  escutcheon  of  Mex- 
ico.    Snake  alone  would  be  more  appropriate. 

"Humboldt  mentions  in  his  travels  having  seen  the 
ruins  of  Casa  Blanca,  on  the  River  Gila.  Another  tradi- 
tion is  current  also  of  Montezuma  having  told  the  con- 
querors of  Mexico  that  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  for 
them  to  subject  to  their  rule  the  whole  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  but  the  Apaches  never.  We  shall  see  what  Uncle 
Sam  can  do  with  them  in  a  short  time." 

The  yield  of  the  silver  mines  of  Mexico,  as  compared 
by  Ward  and  Humboldt  from  the  actual  official  returns 
to  the  government,  from  the  conquest  to  1803,  amounts 
to  the  enormous  sum  of  $2,027,855,000,  or  more  than 
TWO  BILLIONS  of  dollars !  Again,  Ward  says :  "I  am 
aware  that  many  of  the  statements  in  this  and  the  pre- 
ceding books  respecting  the  mineral  riches  of  the  north 
of  New  Spain  (Sonora,  including  the  Gadsden  Purchase, 
Chihuahua,  and  Durango)  will  be  thought  exaggerated. 
They  are  not  so.  They  will  be  confirmed  by  every  fu- 
ture report  ;  and  in  after  years,  the  public,  familiarized 
with  facts  which  are  only  questioned  because  they  are 


48^  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

new,  will  wonder  at  its  present  incredulity,  and  regret 
the  loss  of  advantages  which  may  not  always  be  within 
its  reach." 

Gold  dust  has  been  found  in  abundance  in  the  placers 
of  San  Francisco  la  Cienga,  Las  Llanos,  Ouisabaquita,  St. 
Perfecto ;  and  Soni  is  famous  for  its  gold  mines,  also  Co- 
cuspera  and  Baba  Seco ;  in  the  district  of  the  Pueblo  of 
Cucurpe  gold  is  found  in  abundance;  during  the  rainy 
season  in  Baquachi,  district  of  Arizpe,  it  is  also  found  in 
quantities  which  pay  well.  Li  a  word,  Sonora,  consider- 
ed in  a  mineral  point  of  view,  equals,  if  not  surpasses,  the 
richest  country  in  the  known  world,  and  only  requires 
capital,  peace,  and  a  liberal  government.  The  new  Ter- 
ritory of  Arizona,  which  formerly  belonged  to  this  state, 
is  considered  by  the  Sonoranese  to  be  the  richest  portion 
of  their  country. 

The  climate  is  good.  The  rainy  season  sets  in  in  June, 
and  lasts  till  the  beginning  of  September;  from  this  month 
until  March  occasional  showers  fall.  The  cold  is  never 
severe,  the  weather  being  very  similar  to  that  in  Califor- 
nia in  the  same  months.  From  March  until  the  rain  sets 
in  in  June  is  considered  the  dry  season.  The  heats  are 
never  oppressive — less  so  than  in  CaHfornia.  Two  crops 
are  raised  from  off  the  same  land  in  the  year,  and  which 
for  abundance  can  not  be  Bur]3assed  in  any  country  — 
wheat,  maize,  beans,  peas,  etc.,  being  the  general  grain 
that  is  cultivated.  Sugar-cane  is  planted  in  great  quanti- 
ties in  Hermosillo,  San  Miguel,  Ures,  Rayon,  Oposura, 
Saguaripa,  Huepaca,  and  the  Rio  Yaqui.  A  coarse  kind 
of  sugar  is  made  called  panocha,  which  yields  to  the  cul- 
tivator an  excellent  return  for  his  labor,  generally  selling 
at  |25  the  cargo  of  three  hundred  weight.  In  all  parts 
of  the  state  most  excellent  tobacco  is  raised.  Cotton  is 
sown  by  the  Indians  on  the  Rio  Yaqui,  and  the  grub  (cot- 
ton worm)  is  hardly  known  in  the  crops.     The  average 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.      49 

price  of  wheat  is  eight  dollars  the  cargo  of  three  hundred 
weight,  beans  and  peas  six  dollars. 

The  state  is  divided  into  nine  districts,  each  being  gov- 
erned by  a  prefect,  who  is  appointed  by  the  governor,  and 
is  responsible  for  the  good  conduct  of  his  district.  The 
port  of  Guaymas  at  present  is  the  only  port  of  entry.* 
It  is  a  small,  but,  in  the  business  part,  a  well-built  town, 
containing  about  six  thousand  inhabitants.  The  harbor 
of  Guaymas  is  the  best  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Four  miles 
long,  with  an  inner  and  outer  bay,  it  will  admit  ships  of 
the  heaviest  tonnage,  and  the  commerce  of  the  world 
could  be  transacted  at  this  port.  The  entrance  is  pro- 
tected by  a  long  island,  which  makes  it  doubly  secure.f 

The  principal  rivers  of  Sonora  are  the  Fuerte,  the  Ya- 
qui,  the  Mayo,  and  the  Sonora.  The  Yaqui  enters  the 
Gulf  of  California  eighteen  miles  below  Guaymas.  It  has 
a  dangerous  bar,  but  it  is  believed  to  be  navigable  for 
light-draft  steamers  to  Buena  Vista,];  eighty  miles  from 

*  Libertad,  in  latitude  29°  53'  N.,  has  recently  been  opened. 

t  The  following  letter  is  from  the  head  of  the  well-known  mercan- 
tile liouse  of  Juan  A.  Kobinson,  of  Guaymas,  Sonora,  San  Francisco, 
and  other  points.  It  is  proper  to  say  that  the  actual  export  is  nearer 
five  millions  than  three,  a  large  amount  of  bullion  being  exported 
yearly  without  going  through  the  custom-house.  The  trade  of  Mazat- 
lan  is  nearer  twelve  millions  than  nine. 

"  Guaymas,  October  12,  1858. 

"Dear  Sir, — In  reply  to  your  inquiries  regarding  the  trade  of  this 
port,  I  would  observe,  the  merchandise  principally  consumed  is  from 
England  direct,  and  occasionally  from  the  United  States,  including 
goods  from  the  European  continent  and  the  East  Indies.  The  amount 
of  imports  may  be  calculated  at  about  three  millions  per  annum  of  for- 
eign goods,  besides  a  considerable  amount  of  the  different  manufactures 
of  this  republic.  Returns  are  made  in  gold  and  silver  bullion.  And, 
lastly,  wheat  and  hides  [the  exports  of  the  former]  may  be  calculated 
at  three  millions  per  annum,  and  say  half  a  million  of  the  other  arti- 
cles, including  copper.  Our  trade  is  evidently  on  the  increase.  Re- 
garding Mazatlan,  from  personal  observation  I  should  judge  that  the 
business  done  there  is  about  three  times  more  than  that  of  this  port, 
their  exports  being  in  coined  silver  and  gold,  Brazil  wood  and  hides, 
principally.     I  remain,  dear  sir,  in  haste,  your  obedient  servant, 

"Juan  A.  Robinson. 

"Hon.  Sylvester  Mowry, Delegate  from  Arizona." 

X  Doubtful.— S.  M. 

c 


50  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

its  moutb.  The  Sonora  River  flows  througli  the  Arizpe 
valley,  which  is  called  the  garden  of  Sonora.  It  is  almost 
wholly  in  the  hands  of  the  Apaches.  The  desolation  of 
the  depopulated  towns  and  ranches  is  melancholy  beyond 
description.  The  valleys  of  the  Yaqui,  Mayo,  and  Fu- 
erte  are  the  best  sugardands  in  the  world. 

Ures  is  a  small  city  of  about  seven  thousand  inhabit- 
ants, and  is  situated  about  sixty  leagues  from  Guaymas. 
Hermosillo  is  the  largest  city,  containing  from  fourteen 
to  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  the  centre  of  com- 
merce. It  is  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  noi'th  -of  Guay- 
mas.* The  next  in  size  and  importance  is  Real  de  Ala- 
mos, situated  on  the  frontiers  of  Sinaloa:  it  contains  from 
five  to  six  thousand  inhabitants;  it  is  the  centre  of  a  large 
mining  district,  as  its  name  implies — Real  meaning  town 
or  city  of  mines.  Oposura,  Saguaripa,  Rayon,  St.  Miguel, 
and  Arispe,  the  ancient  capital  of  Sonora,  are  large  towns, 
with  populations  of  from  four  to  five  thousand  each.  The 
entire  population  of  Sonora  does  not  exceed  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  thousand,  comprising  Mexicans  {jente  de 
razon)^  Opatas,  Yaquis,  Mayos,  Taumales,  and  Papagos : 
this  population,  instead  of  increasing,  is  decreasing — the 
Apaches,  revolutions,  and  emigrations  to  California  and 
Arizona  producing  this  effect ;  and  in  a  few  years,  if  some 
change  does  not  take  place,  Sonora  will  become  depopu- 
lated. Mr.  Hall,  the  friend  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for 
many  of  these  notes,  says : 

"  After  so  many  years'  residence  among  them,  I  natur- 
ally feel  an  interest  in  their  welfare,  firmly  believing  that 
the  grain  of  gold  in  their  character  among  so  much  dross 
is  worthy  of  seeking  out,  and  will  repay  the  finders.     The 

*  A  mint  has  been  established  at  Hermosillo,  which  is  in  successful 
operation,  having  all  the  modern  mechanical  appliances  for  coining 
gold,  silver,  and  copper.  The  right  to  coin  is  a  monopoly  in  the  hands 
of  capitalists.  The  present  superintendent  is  Mr.  Symonds,  an  English 
subject,  assisted  by  Mr.  Bowring  and  Mr.  Monteverde. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.      51 

United  States  could  do  it,  and  would  to  God  it  should  be 
so ;  and  I  and  many  others  will  be  found  ready  to  co- 
operate in  any  just  and  honest  mode  of  bringing  round  a 

mutual  good  understanding But  one  conclusion 

can  be  drawn  of  the  State  of  Sonora,  and  that  is,  in  order 
to  redeem  to  the  Sonoranese  his  character,  life,  and  for-  • 
time,  it  is  necessary  to  subject  or  utterly  annihilate  the 
savage  Apache,  who  has  served  as  the  destroying  angel 
to  this  fine  country.  It  is  the  most  sure  and  ready  way 
to  gain  the  eternal  gratitude  and  friendship  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  annexation  of  one  of  the  richest  countries  in 
the  known  world,  which  will  also  serve  as  another  con- 
necting link  of  the  great  chain  of  commerce  with  the  In- 
dies." 

Velasco  says,  in  concluding  his  review  of  Sonora  and 
the  Sonoranese : 

"In  truth  this  is  a  most  sorrowful  scene;  it  horrors 
one  to  consider  the  state  of  prostration  which  we  are 
now  in,  by  the  continued  bad  feeling  of  party,  which 
keeps  us  savage  in  civil  war,  and  all  the  while  forgetting 
our  own  interests.  For  parties  to  harass  each  other  mu- 
tually; for  brother  to  slaughter  brother  to  satisfy  re- 
venge, etc.,  in  a  moment,  are  formed  enthusiastic  masses ; 
but  the  same  does  not  happen  when  the  common  enemy 
is  to  be  punished,  who  are  now  with  gigantic  strides  de- 
stroying the  country.  Until  the  Sonoranese  shall  know 
that  as  long  as  they  do  not  bury  in  the  fold  of  their  coun- 
try, and  each  one  give  a  brotherly  embrace  in  good  faith, 
we  shall  continue  to  be  the  plaything  of  passions  the 
most  strong  and  savage." 

Having  had  considerable  practical  experience  on  the 

plains,  four  journeys  overland  across  the  continent  in  the 

past  four  years,*  I  was  desirous  of  stating  a  few  facts, 

showing  the  comparative  merits  of  the  diftereut  routes 

*  Since  doubled. 


52  Arizona  aiid  Sonora. 

for  a  Pacific  railroad.  The  limits  of  this  address  will  not 
permit,  and  I  therefore  turn  from  the  subject,  with  the 
prediction  that  the  route  known  as  the  Southern,  along 
the  3 2d  parallel,  is  the  only  one  that  will  be  built  in  this 
generation.*  Every  exploration  has  shown  it  to  be  not 
only  the  most  practicable,  but  probably  the  only  practi- 
cable route.  The  advocates  of  this  route  point  to  the 
significant  fact  that  the  mail  from  San  Antonio  to  San 
Diego  has  never  once  failed  in  eighteen  months  of  opera- 
tion, winter  or  summer.  The  Great  Overland  Mail  makes 
its  best  time  on  the  32d  parallel,  and  that  portion  of  the 
route  denounced  as  the  worst,  from  El  Paso  west,  has 
proved  itself  the  best.  Thirteen  hundred  miles  by  stage 
in  December  or  January  in  less  than  eight  days.  Is  there 
any  other  route  on  the  continent  where  this  can  be  ac- 
complished ?  Not  on  the  Salt  Lake  route.  It  is  wholly 
impracticable.  Not  on  the  Albuquerque  route,  else  Lieu- 
tenant Beale  would  not  go  into  winter  quarters.  On  the 
3 2d  parallel  no  winter  quarters  are  necessary.  It  is  use- 
less to  attempt  to  evade  this  question  of  climate  on  so  ex- 
tended a  route.  In  addition,  the  32d  parallel  is  by  far 
the  most  level,  and  has  the  most  water  at  all  seasons  of 
the  year.  (See  Lieutenant  Parke's  Report.)  The  first 
terminus  of  the  Pacific  railroad  will  be  Guaymas,  on  the 
Gulf  of  California.  From  El  Paso  to  Guaymas  the  dis- 
tance is  only  about  four  hundred  miles  —  at  most  four 
hundred  and  fifty.  It  will  run  across  the  Guzman  valley 
through  the  Guadalupe  or  some  more  southern  pass  to 
Arizpe,  thence  to  Ures,  thence  to  Hermosillo,  thence  to 
Guaymas.  It  can  be  built  most,  if  not  all  the  way,  for 
$10,000  per  mile,  and  put  in  running  condition.  It  would 
pay  to-day  between  Hermosillo  and  Guaymas  in  freight 
alone.  It  will  traverse  a  rich  agricultural  and  mining 
country,  and  can  connect  with  San  Francisco  and  all  the 
*  See  Speech  of  Jefferson  Davis  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 


Address  before  the  Geographical  Society^  1859.     53 

Pacific  by  steamers.  A  brancli  from  Arizona  down  the 
valley  of  the  San  Iguacio  would  give  Arizona  the  outlet 
she  so  much  desires  for  her  productions.  It  connects 
with  the  Texas  road  at  El  Paso,  and,  notwithstanding  all 
the  predictions  to  the  contrary,  the  Texas*i*oad  will  be. 
built.  Should  it  be  deemed  desirable  to  extend  at  once 
to  the  Pacific,  a  steam  ferry  across  the  Gulf  of  California, 
and  short  railroad  across  Lower  California  to  a  roadstead 
on  the  Pacific,  accomplishes  the  desired  end.  If  these 
views  were  elaborated,  they  could  be  supported  by  an 
array  of  evidence  not  to  be  overthrown. 

In  a  report  made  to  the  Viceroy  of  Spain  during  the 
early  settlement  of  the  province  of  Arizona  and  Sonora^ 
is  found  the  following  words :  "  A  scientific  exploration 
of  Sonora,  with  reference  to  mineralogy,  along  with  the 
introduction  of  families,  will  lead  to  a  discovery  of  gold 
and  silver  so  marvelous,  that  the  result  will  be  such  as 
has  never  yet  been  seen  in  the  world."  The  Spanish  race 
have  but  just  touched  these  treasures.  It  remains  for 
the  American  people  to  make  good  the  prediction.  With 
the  organization  of  Arizona  and  the  acquisition  of  Sonora, 
a  new  impetus  will  be  given  to  the  Pacific.  The  Mexican 
population  will  recede  before  the  energy  of  American  ca- 
reer. At  Guaymas  a  city  will  go  up  which  shall  have  no 
parallel  in  the  magic  of  her  increase  except  San  Francis- 
co. The  auri  sacra  fames  is  as  strong  to-day  as  in  the 
days  of  old.  Allured  by  the  story  of  the  new  El  Dora- 
do which  is  just  opening,  tens  of  thousands  of  emigrants 
will  hurry  thither.  Our  empire  on  the  Pacific  is  just 
founded.  Its  growth  in  the  future  will  equal  that  of  the 
past,  if  the  United  States  seizes  the  golden  opportunity 
now  oifering.  The  wealthiest  and  most  delightful  of 
countries  will  be  redeemed  from  the  barbarism  into  which 
it  is  so  fast  falling.  An  immense  market  will  be  opened 
for  northern  productions;  commerce  will  again  be  stim- 


54  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

iilated  as  it  was  by  California ;  and  the  predictions  of 
Humboldt,  that  the  balance  between  gold  and  silver 
would  one  day  be  restored,  will  be  made  good  from  the 
treasures  of  Arizona  and  Sonora. 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  to  1864.         55 


CHAPTER  II. 

CONDITION  OF  ARIZONA  FROM  1859  TO  1864. 

Rapid  Advance  of  Arizona. — Reverses. — Withdrawal  of  the  Overland 
Mail. — Ravages  of  the  Apaches. — Mining  Discoveries. — The  Heint- 
zelman  and  other  Mines. — ^The  Military  Position. — The  Mowry  Sil- 
ver Mines. — Arrest  of  the  Proprietor.— His  Release. — The  Mines 
worked  on  Government  Account. — The  Apaches,  and  how  to  deal 
with  them. — General  Carleton. — Arizona  in  1864. — Progress  of  the 
Mines. — The  Mowry  Mines. — Mr.  Kiistel's  Report. — The  Bounda- 
ries and  Organization  of  the  Territory. 

The  history  of  Arizona  since  1859  has  two  aspects — 
one  of  great  and  steady  improvement,  the  other  of  calam- 
ity and  decHne.  The  first  was  the  natural  result  of  the 
development  of  the  great  natural  resources  of  the  Terri- 
tory ;  the  second  of  fortuitous  circumstances,  and  the 
shameful  abandonment  and  neglect  of  the  country  by  the 
administration  at  Washington.  The  uninterrupted  suc- 
cess of  the  Great  Overland  Mail  brought  in  its  train  a 
constantly  increasing  immigration.  The  valleys  of  the 
Santa  Cruz,  Sonoita,  San  Pedro,  and  Mimbres  were  rap- 
idly filling  up  with  farmers,  while  on  the  Gila  many  thou- 
sand dollars  were  expended  in  taking  out  acequias,  and 
redeeming  the  rich  bottom  lands  at  availaBTe  points. 
The  Federal  Government  promised  protection,  and  did,  in 
fact,  establish  new  military  posts  to  protect  the  infant 
settlement.  These  posts,  however,  were  poorly  garrison-, 
ed.  The  troops  were  mostly  infantry — almost  useless  to 
pursue  or  punish  the  Apaches.  The  small  cavalry  force 
in  the  Territory,  although  most  ably  handled  by  Captain 
R.  S.  Ewell,  First  Dragoons,  United  States  Army  (since 
Major  General  Ewell  of  the  Confederate  Army),  was  en- 


56  Arizo7ia  and  Sonoo^a. 

tirely  unable  to  make  a  campaign  with  decisive  results 
against  the  Indians.  In  sjjite  of  this  serious  drawback 
new  mines  were  opened,  capital  obtained  in  the  East  for 
their  development ;  the  farmers  flourished  and  built  per- 
manent improvements,  and  each  year  showed  a  decided 
advance  upon  the  last. 

The  change  came  suddenly  and  without  warning.  The 
Overland  Mail  was  withdrawn,  then  the  troops,  and  the 
settlements  in  the  valleys  above-named  succumbed  almost 
at  once  to  the  attacks  of  the  Apaches.  Many  lives  w^ere 
lost ;  property  of  all  description  was  abandoned ;  crops  to 
an  enormous  amount  were  left  standing  in  the  fields, 
never  to  be  gathered.  Never  was  desolation  so  sudden, 
so  complete.  In  my  late  journey  from  Tucson  to  Guay- 
mas,  I  passed  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  beauti- 
ful country,  studded  with  ranches  and  farms,  where  at 
every  step  were  found  comfortable  houses,  out-buildings, 
fences,  and  tilled  fields  utterly  abandoned  and  tenantless. 
/  The  mining  interest  suflered  at  the  same  time.  Partly 
through  the  cowardice  of  agents  and  superintendents, 
partly  through  the  fault  of  Eastern  directors,  the  various 
silver  mines  in  Central  Arizona  were  temporarily  aban- 
doned, and  I  was  left  with  a  handful  of  men  who  were 
willing  to  share  my  fortune,  and,  if  Fate  so  willed  it,  be 
the  last  Americans  in  the  Territory  to  fall  by  the  lance 
or  arrow  of  the  Apache.  We  not  only  survived,  but  we 
built  up  a  great  work  in  the  heart  of  the  country ;  thor- 
oughly demonstrated  the  great  value  of  the  mines  ;  and, 
what  is  more  and  better,  proved  conclusively  that  the 
Apaches  arc  no  obstacle  to  working  in  the  Territory, 
compared  to  the  great  result  to  be  accomplished.  It  is 
suificient  proof  of  this  that  I  did  not  lose  two  hours' 
work  in  ten  months  on  account  of  the  Indians.  Some 
-  valuable  lives  were  lost,  but  it  was  by  recklessly  disre- 
garding my  repeated  injunctions  and  directions. 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  ^o  1864.         57 

The  Territory  has  been  occupied  by  Confederate  troops, 
but  in  small  force,  except  on  the  Rio  Grande.  After 
their  retreat  before  the  forces  of  General  Canby  —  not 
General  Carleton,  as  is  falsely  stated — Arizona  was  occu- 
pied, and  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  California  Vol- 
unteers. 

The  gold  fields  on  the  Gila  River,  alluded  to  as  a  new 
discovery  in  my  address,  proved  limited  in  extent ;  and 
although  worked  mostly  by  Mexicans  for  several  years 
with  a  large  yield  of  gold,  were  deserted  about  a  year 
ago  for  the  more  attractive  placers  of  the  Colorado.  It 
is  said  that  an  enterprise  is  on  foot,  under  the  auspices  of 
well-known  business  men,  to  bring  water  from  the  Gila 
on  to  this  ground  by  steam  power.  The  result  can 
scarcely  fail  to  richly  reward  the  authors  of  the  enter- 
prise [1863]. 

At  various  points  along  the  Colorado,  on  both  sides  of 
the  river,  gold  has  been  found  capriciously  disseminated, 
some  spots  yielding  enormously,  others  nothing.  Chim- 
ney Peak,  eighteen  miles  from  Fort  Yuma,  was  in  No- 
vember and  December  a  favorite  locality.  La  Paz,  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  above  Fort  Yuma,  was 
previously  a  great  attraction,  and  is  since.  At  this  point 
quite  a  village  had  grown  up  when  I  visited  it  in  j^o- 
vember,  1862.  The  population  was  then  about  eight 
hundred,  and  increasing.  No  distinct  or  well-defined 
ledges  had  then  been  discovered,  but  the  most  beautiful 
specimens  of  gold  quartz,  silver,  copper,  silver-lead,  and 
silver  and  copper  I  ever  saw,  had  been  found,  all  of  which, 
upon  assay,  gave  astonishing  results.  I  am  informed 
since  that  extensive  ledges  have  been  discovered  and  are 
being  prospected  in  this  district.  Copper  has  also  been 
found  below  La  Paz,  at  different  points  on  and  near  the 
river.  Salt  has  been  found  near  the  Colorado  in  such 
large  deposits  as  to  guarantee  a  supply  of  this  very  nec- 

C2 


58  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

essary  aid  to  the  reduction  of  the  refractory  silver  ores. 
Adventurous  "  prospectors"  have  penetrated  the  country 
lying  between  the  Gila  and  Colorado,  beyond  the  Desert 
belt,  and,  making  a  temporary  peace  with  the  Tonto 
Apaches,  have  found  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Salinas 
and  San  Francisco  Rivers  and  their  small  tributaries 
good  gold  prospects,  and  an  abundance  of  water  for 
sluicing.  All  these  parties,  from  whom  I  have  notes  of 
their  explorations,  confirm  the  reports  made  to  me  sever- 
al years  since  by  Weaver,  the  old  "  mountain  man,"  and 
by  Apache  and  Pimo  chiefs,  of  the  existence  of  rich  val- 
leys, heavy  timber,  and  fine  pasture  -lands  north  of  the 
Gila.  The  country  north  of  La  Paz,  near  the  Colorado 
on  both  sides,  is  at  present  attracting  much  attention, 
and  great  discoveries  are  daily  reported.  The  naviga- 
tion of  the  Colorado  by  steamers  to  the  vicinity  of  these 
mines  must  make  them  very  valuable  at  no  distant  day. 

The  mines  in  Central  Arizona,  in  the  Santa  Cruz  and 
Santa  Rita  Mountains,  and  near  the  Sonora  line,  have  been 
fully  prospected,  and  no  doubt  now  exists  in  the  minds 
of  the  well-informed  of  their  great  value.  The  Heint- 
zelman  Mine,  now  owned,  I  believe,  almost  entirely  by 
the  heirs  of  Colonel  Samuel  Colt,  is  not  at  present  work- 
ed, owing,  I  believe,  to  the  death  of  Colonel  Colt.  There 
is  no  doubt  of  the  richness  of  this  mine.  It  was  fully 
proved  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Ktistel.  Magnifi- 
cent machinery  for  the  Freyburg  barrel-process,  with  en- 
gines of  eighty  horse  power,  were  sent  out  from  New 
York  three  years  since,  the  whole  manufactured  under 
the  personal  supervision  of  Colonel  Colt,  whose  mechan- 
ical genius  has  rarely  been  surpassed.  Jealousy  on  the 
part  of  Western  stockholders,  and  an  insane  fear  that 
Colt  would  "freeze"  them  all  out,  delayed  the  erection 
of  this  machinery ;  bad  management  at  the  mine,  and 
other  causes,  impeded  progress  until  the  troops  were 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  to  1864.  59 

withdrawn  from  the  country,  and  the  last  manager  for 
the  company,  Mr.  C.  D.  Poston,  turniug  over  his  right  to 
Colt,  left  for  the  East.  The  present  superintendent,  Col- 
onel F.  T.  Lally,  has,  he  informs  me,  opened  a  new  shaft, 
in  which  he  has  struck  very  rich  metal;  but,  as  above 
stated,  work  is  now  suspended.  During  the  temporary 
abandonment  of  this  mine,  the  Mexican  "  gambussinos" 
carried  away  immense  quantities  of  rich  metal ;  and  the 
village  of  Saric — just  over  the  Mexican  line,  where  the 
ore  was  reduced — flourished  and  grew  rich  upon  the  fol- 
ly of  the  Eastern  managers. 

The  Sopori  and  Arizona  Land  and  Mining  Companies, 
who  own  a  vast  tract  of  mineral,  grazing,  and  arable  land 
in  the  Santa  Cruz  valley  and  vicinity,  have  also  suspend- 
ed operations.  Their  stock  is  held  in  good  hands,  and 
will  be  good  property.  They  intend,  I  am  informed,  to 
recommence  operations  at  an  early  day.  Some  of  the 
heaviest  Eastern  capitalists  are  the  principal  owners  of 
these  stocks. 

The  Santa  Rita  Company  own  some  valuable  mines 
north  of  the  town  ofTubac.  They  suspended  operations 
at  a  time  when  success  was  just  in  their  reach,  partly,  I 
believe,  from  bad  management,  and  partly  from  the  with- 
drawal of  the  troops.  They  will,  I  presume,  reccanmence, 
now  that  a  large  military  force  occupies  the  Territory.* 

*  The  separation  of  Arizona  from  the  Military  Department  of  Cali- 
fornia is  a  great  mistake.  Under  any  circumstances,  if  economy  and 
time  are  consulted,  army  supplies  must  be  drawn  from  California. 
The  military  posts  called  Fort  M'Lane  and  Fort  Breckenridge  were 
established  by  the  War  Department  upon  the  recommendation  of  the 
writer,  while  Western  Arizona  was  placed  under  the  control  of  Gener- 
al Clarke,  United  States  Army,  then  commanding  the  Pa,cific  Depart- 
ment. General  Clarke  did  mo  the  honor  to  consult  me  on  several  oc- 
casions, and  at  his  request  I  selected  a  site  for  a  new  military  post  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Salinas,  a  few  miles  from  the  Pimos  villages.  This 
post  must  some  day  be  established.  The  views  of  General  Clarke 
were  similar  to  my  own  in  reference  to  supplying  Arizona  from  Cali- 
fornia. 


60  Arizona  and  Soiiora,  • 

Many  mines  —  the  San  Pedro,  San  Antonio,  Buenavista, 
Empire,  and  others  in  Central  Arizona — have  been  open- 
ed, but  want  of  capital  and  the  condition  of  the  country- 
have  retarded  their  development. 

They  will,  before  long,  become  permanent  and  valuable 
investments.  Near  the  Mexican  line,  south  of  Tucson, 
the  Cahuabi  and  Fresnal  Mines  are  being  successfully 
worked  by  Senor  Padrez  and  other  Mexicans.  The  patio 
process  is  adopted  with  good  results.  A  large  amount 
of  silver  is  taken  out  monthly.  There  is  a  rich  field  here 
for  California  capital,  which  must  inevitably  find  its  way 
there  before  many  months.  All  the  mines  above  men- 
tioned, except  the  San  Antonio,  are  of  the  so-called  hard 
ores — sulphurets  of  silver  with  copper  combined. 

If  a  sound  judgment  prevails  at  Washington  (which  may  be  ration- 
ally doubted),  Arizona  will  be  again  restored  to  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral Wright,  in  whom  the  troops,  as  well  as  the  people,  recognize  a 
true-hearted  gentleman  and  intelligent  soldier  —  qualities  they  have 
failed  to  discover  in  the  individual  now  exercising  command  over  the 
Territory. 

It  should  be  said  that  the  reports  of  travelers  by  the  Southern  Over- 
land Mail,  that  Arizona  is  a  desert,  should  be  taken  cum  grano  sails. 
Almost  any  man  unaccustomed  to  such  a  journey,  worn  out  with  fa- 
tigue and  want  of  sleep,  would  imagine  himself  in  Hell  even  if  passing 
through  Paradise.  It  would  be  about  as  fair  to  judge  California  from 
San  Bernardino  and  San  Diego  counties,  as  to  judge  Arizona  from 
the  country  west  of  Tucson.  The  letters  from  the  California  Column, 
published  in  several  of  the  California  newspapers,  are  mostly  written 
to  inflate  some  balloon  reputation  that  will  get  a  woful  collapse  some 
day,  or  to  accomplish  some  private  end  (for  example,  the  shameful  at- 
tack upon  General  Canby,  a  most  able,  patriotic  soldier  and  gentle- 
man). They  are  certainly  not  intended  to  enlighten  the  public. 
There  is  no  necessity  to  assert  what  is  deliberately  false  about  the 
country  in  order  to  compliment  the  march  of  the  California  Volun- 
teers to  New  Mexico.  The  march  was  as  good  a  one  as  could  have 
been  made  under  so  inefficient  a  general.  The  men  are  entitled  to 
great  credit,  as  much  for  their  patient  endurance  of  uncalled-for,  un- 
military,  and  arduous  labors,  as  for  their  march. 

Under  a  competent  commander,  the  march  could  have  been  made 
in  better  time,  and  with  far  greater  ease  to  the  men.  Under  one  who 
had  any  regard  for  the  truth,  the  commander-in-chief  and  the  public 
would  have  had  the  facts  in  connection  with  it,  and  not  a  romance 
which  is  worthy  a  place  in  a  new  edition  of  Munchausen. — S.  M., 
1863. 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  to  1864.  61 

In  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains,  about  eighty  miles  east 
of  Tucson,  is  an  immense  deposit  of  silver-lead  ores,  ar- 
gentiferous galena,  of  extraordinary  richness.  The  sul- 
phurets  of  lead  and  silver,  mingled  with  the  carbonates, 
give  results  previously  unheard  of  by  mineralogists. 

The  only  portion  of  this  district  yet  largely  developed 
♦is  the  "Mo  wry  Silver  Mines,"  the  property  of  the  writer. 
The  main  shaft  of  these  mines  has  been  sunk  to  the 
t3epth  of  more  than  two  hundred  feet,  with  galleries  and 
auxiliary  shafts  a  thousand  feet  more.  Prospecting 
shafts  have  been  sunk  at  various  places,  and  tunnels 
opened  along  the  lead,  on  the  property  of  the  writer 
(twenty-six  hundred  feet  in  extent),  in  all  of  which  pay- 
ing ores  have  been  "  struck"  at  from  ten  to  one  hundred 
feet  from  the  surfacef.  About  1200,000  has  been  expend- 
ed in  the  purchase  of  these  mines,  erection  of  reduction 
works,  houses  for  laborers,  and  every  thing  necessary 
for  an  extensive  and  permanent  establishment,  including 
steani-engine  and  mill.  Under  exceedingly  adverse  cir- 
cumstances, in  a  country  abandoned  except  by  my  own 
people,  the  mines  were  thoroughly  opened,  and  a  large 
quantity  of  ore  reduced.  It  was  my  intention  to  have 
used  only  the  reverberatory*  process  for  the  reduction 
of  my  ores,  but,  on  account  of  the  long  continuance  of  the 
rainy  season  of  1861, 1  was  forced  to  begin  with  the  Or- 
nos  Castellaiios  (the  common  upright  German  or  Mexi- 
can blast  furnace),  exceedingly  simple  in  construction, 
and  requiring  but  little  skill  or  science  t^  work.  Several 
months'  experience  with  these  furnaces  has  convinced 
me  of  the  great  waste  in  silver  resulting  from  their  use, 
although  the  working  proved  remunerative  beyond  my 
expectation.     I  am  satisfied  that  the  loss  in  silver  is, 

*  Later  experience  has  proved  conclusively  that  an  improved  blast- 
furnace is  the  best  for  reducing  ores  similar  to  those  of  the  Mowry 
Mines.    Th£  reverberatory  furnaces  proved  a  failure.     1864. 


62  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

under  the  best  circumstances,  at  least  twenty -five  per 
cent.,  and  generally  more,  owing  to  careless  attendance 
and  the  inability  to  regulate  the  heat  or  the  blast.  The 
fault  was  in  the  construction  of  the  furnaces,  not  in  the 
principle.  There  are  twelve  of  these  furnaces  at  the  re- 
duction works,, six  of  which  are  run  alternate  weeks. 
The  yield  is  of  course  lead  and  silver,  wjiich  is  shipped 
to  Europe  in  bars  weighing  about  seventy  pounds  each. 
These  bars  sell  in  England  at  from  $200  per  ton  uj)ward, 
giving  a  clear  profit  over  all  expenses — mining,  smelting, 
freight,  insurance,  and  commissions  —  of  over  $100  per 
ton.  A  portion  of  these  bars  are  refined  at  the  mines  in 
the  English  cupel  furnace  (the  Mexican  vaso),  to  supply 
silver  for  the  payment  of  current  expenses.  The  silver 
is  moulded  into  bars,  from  $2  up  to  $300,  and  is  a  ready 
and  convenient  circulating  medium  in  a  country  where 
coin  exists  only  in  the  memory  of  some  individual  who 
has  been  in  California.  Twenty-five  tons  of  the  Mowry 
ores  were  sent  to  Europe  as  specimens  in  1862.  The 
result  was  an  offer  of  £50  sterling  ($250)  per  ton  for  the 
ore  as  it  ran,  properly  cleaned.  The  results  to  be  ob- 
tained from  these  ores  treated  by  the  improved  furnace 
are  much  greater  than  by  the  present  method. 

In  June,  1862,  the  proprietor  of  the  Mowry  Silver 
Mines  was  seized  by  a  large  armed  force,  under  the  or- 
ders of  General  J.  H.  Carleton,  while  in  the  legitimate 
pursuit  of  his  business,  and  retained  as  a  political  prison- 
er for  nearly  six^onths.  This  seizure  was  made  upon  a 
false,  ridiculous,  and  malicious  charge.  After  nearly  six 
months'  close  imprisonment  the  writer  was  discharged, 
"  there  being  no  evidenc^''  (in  the  opinion  of  the  court 
which  tried  his  case),  '-'•either  oral  or  documentary^ 
against  himf  a  charming  commentary  upon  the  consti- 
tutional guarantee  to  every  citizen  of  "life,  property,  and 
the  pursuit  of  happiness."     The  mines  were  i:)Iaced  in  the 


Condition  of  Arizojia  from  1859  to  1864.  63 

liauds  of  a  dishonest  and  imcompetent  man  as  govern- 
ment receiver,  who  did  much  damage,  caused  great  loss, 
and  finally,  on  being  obliged  to  give  up  his  place,  made 
away  with  nearly  all  the  goods,  wood,  coal,  arms,  and 
stores  at  the  mines.  No  improvements  were  made  dur- 
ing this  person's  administration,  .and  the  property  now 
being  held  by  the  Federal  Government,  under  pretense  of 
the  Confiscation  Act,  none  can  be  made  by  the  owner 
until  his  property  is  restored  to  his  possession.  This 
will  undoubtedly  be  done  as  soon  as  the  authorities  at 
"Washington  can  be  heard  from,  as  the  seizure  was  illegal, 
and  dictated  by  personal  hostility  on  the  part  of  General 
Carleton.* 

*  The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  Journal  of  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  June  13,  1864  : 

"The  President  pro  tempore  presented  a  message  from  the  Secre- 
tary of  War,  covering  a  report  of  the  Adjutant  General,  in  reply  to 
the  resolution  of  the  Senate  of  May  20,  1864,  relating  to  the  seizure 
of  the  silver  mine  of  Sylvester  Mowry,  in  Arizona,  by  order  of  Gener- 
al Carleton,  commander  in  New  Mexico,  and  asking  by  what  authori- 
ty the  mine  is  now  worked, and  what  dispositiou  is  made  of  the  pro- 
ceeds. 

"The  Adjutant  General  relates  the  fact  of  the  arrest  of  Mr,  Mowry, 
under  order  of  General  Carleton,  on  the  8th  of  June,  1862,  on  a  charge 
of  treasonable  complicities  with  the  rebels,  and  in  view  of  a  circular  is- 
sued by  Brigadier  General  Wright,  commanding  the  Department  of 
the  Pacific,  declaring  all  property  of  enemies  of  the  United  States  sub- 
ject to  confiscation.  The  property  of  Mowry  was  also  seized,  and  a 
board  of  investigation  appointed  by  General  Carleton  reported  it  as 
their  opinion  that  he  had  given  aid  and  comfort  to.  the  enemy,  and 
that  there  was  sufficient  reason  to  restrain  him  of  his  liberty,  and 
bring  him  to  trial  before  a  military  commission.  Mowry  was  then 
confined,  July  2d,  in  Fort  Yuma,  California,  awaiting  trial ;  but  on 
November  4,  1862,  was  unconditionally  released,  under  orders  from 
our  War  Department,  Judge  Turner  directing  the  commander  of  the 
fort  to  investigate  the  cause,  and  retain  or  release  the  prisoner  as 
might  appear  right.  There  being  no  evidence  before  the  board,  he 
was  released  accordingly.  Since  then  Mowry  has  issued  notice  to  the 
United  States  District  Attorney  for  New  Mexico  and  to  the  United 
States  Marshal,  alleging  illegal  seizure  of  his  property,  and,  on  the 
12th  of  December,  1863,  filed  in  the  Fourth  Judicial  District  of  Cali- 
fornia a  complaint  against  General  Carleton  and  the  officers  who  acted 
under  his  orders  in  the  seizure.  It  is  inferred,  therefore,  that  the  prop- 
erty has  passed  from  the  military  to  the  civil  authority ;  and  as  to  by 
what  authority  the  mine  is  being  worked,  or  what  disposition  is  made 


64  Arizona  and  JSonora. 

The  yield  of  the  mines  with  the  present  furnaces,  when 
all  are  in  operation,  is  about  $4500  per  week  of  silver, 
refined  at  the  mines.  The  refuse  from  the  refining  fur- 
naces, litharge,  is  sold  in  Sonora,  to  be  used  as  a  flux  at 
such  mines  as  the  Bronces,  Cruzecitas,  Mina  Prieta,  and 
others  containing  refractory  ores.  It  is  correctly  esti- 
mated that  the  sale  of  the  litharge  will  pay  all  the  ex- 
penses of  the  mines.  As  soon  as  the  property  is  restored 
by  the  government  to  its  rightful  owner,  a  number  of 
improved  blast  furnaces  will  be  erected,  and  the  mines 
will  be  made  to  pay  at  once  $2000  per  day.  The  supply 
of  ore  is  immense,  easily  mined  and  brought  to  the  sur- 
face, daily  growing  more  abundant  and  richer.  I  have 
been  thus  specific  in  the  description  of  these  mines  to 
give  a  clear  idea  to  th%se  who  seek  investment  in  mines 
of  the  great  value  of  the  Santa  Cruz  district  of  Arizona. 

A  new  mine,  called  the  "  Olive,"  has  been  discovered, 
and  opened  to  a  considerable  depth  near  the  Mowry 
Mines.  It  is  of  the  same  character,  and  probably  the 
same  lead  as  that  of  the  Mowry  Mines.  It  is  owned  by 
the  discoverers,  three  of  my  workmen.  A  controlling 
interest  has  been  or  w^ill  be  purchased  by  capitalists  here, 
and  by  Captain  C.  E.  Mowry.  La  Esperanza,  five  and  a 
half  miles  from  the  Mowry  Mines,  almost  on  the  Sonora 
line,  has  been  opened  sufficiently  to  demonstrate  the  ex- 
istence of  an  extensive  lead.  There  are  nine  veins  crop- 
ping out  on  the  surface,  which  can  be  tunneled  a  thou- 
sand feet  below  the  cropping.  The  ores  are  argentifer- 
ous galena,  very  rich  in  silver  and  lead.  It  is  in  all  re- 
spects as  valuable  a  mine  as  conld  be  desired.  It  is  own- 
ed by  a  company  organized  here,  of  "solid  men,"  and 
will  be  immediately  worked  on  a  large  scale. 

of  the  proceeds,  there  are  no  documents  on  file  in  the  department  af- 
fording information.  The  report  was  ordered  to  lie  upon  the  table 
and  be  printed." 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  to  1864.         05 

The  experience  gained  by  the  works  of  the  Mowry 
Mines  will  enable  the  Esperanza  and  other  similar  ores 
to  be  treated  at  much  less  expense,  and  give  large  divi- 
dends at  an  early  day.  It  is  some  consolation  to  me 
that  my  mistakes,  costly  as  they  have  been,  will  be  of  in- 
calculable benefit  to  those  who  are  now  investing  their 
capital  in  Arizona.  Some  one  had  to  be  the  pioneer,  and 
it  was  perhaps  appropriate  that  it  should  fall  to  my  lot, 
as  I  was  the  first  to  introduce  Arizona  as  a  candidate 
for  the  honors  of  a  new  state.  The  advantage  these 
mines  of  lead  and  silver  possess  over  the  more  refractory 
ores  containing  copper  and  sulphurets  is  the  great  ease 
of  reduction.  Fire  is  the  only  requisite.  They  contain 
their  own  flux.  No  expensive  machinery,  quicksilver  or 
salt,  or  other  foreign  flux,  is  needed,  and  the  lead  will  pay 
all  the  expense  of  working,  reducing,  and  shipping,  giv- 
ing the  silver  clear  in  the  English  or  San  Francisco  mark- 
et, if  shipped  in  the  form  of  lead  and  silver  bars.  If  re- 
fined at  the  mines,  the  litharge  (greta  in  Mexican  mining 
phrase)  will  pay  all  expenses  above  stated.  The  demand 
for  litharge  is  increasing,  and  there  will  always  be  a  good 
market  for  it,  on  account  of  the  working  of  new  mines 
in  Arizona  and  Sonora.  The  Pattinson  process  of  sepa- 
rating lead  and  silver  is  cheap  and  economical  of  both 
metals,  but  at  present  will  not  pay  as  well  as  the  method 
now  in  use. 

In  connection  with  this  subject,  it  is  proper  to  say  that 
the  immense  advantage  Sonora  and  Arizona  have  over 
California  or  Nevada  for  the  development  of  mineral 
I  wealth  is  the  low  price  of  labor — fifty  cents  to  one  dollar 
per  day,  paidTm  great  part  in  merchandise  at  large  prof- 
its. Transportation  is  also  much  less.  Those  interested 
will  do  well  to  inquire  particularly  into  these  points,  as 
well  as  into  the  character  of  the  mines.  Both  Arizona 
and  Sonora  will  bear  the  most  searching  scrutiny,  and 


66  Arizona  and  So7iora. 

will  reward  the  inquirer.  It  is  as  well  to  say  here  that 
capital  in  large  sums  is  needed  for  the  successful  prose- 
cution of  silver  mining.  This  is  a  condition  precedent 
which  must  be  fully  accepted,  but  with  less  capital  than 
any  where  else  greater  results  can  be  obtained  in  tlie 
countries  in  question. 

In  Eastern  Arizona,  near  the  head  waters  of  the  Mim- 
bres  River,  gold  has  been  discovered  in  placers  and 
quartz.  A  town  called  Pino  Alto  has  been  built  up,  and 
at  one  time  over  a  thousand  people  worked  in  the  vicini- 
ty. With  the  withdrawal  of  the  troops  this  district  suf- 
fered, but  still  many  remained.  The  late  establishment 
of  a  strong  military  post  at  this  point  will  assist  greatly 
in  its  development.  The  copper  mines  of  ancient  fame  in 
the  Mirabres  have  fully  sustained  their  old  reputation. 
Smelting  works  have  been  erected,  new  mines  opened, 
and  the  copper  in  pigs  shipped  in  wagons  to  Lavaca, 
Texas,  thence  to  New  York.  The  copper  sold  at  higher 
rates  than  the  Lake  Superior,  and  paid  a  handsome  profit 
to  the  owners,  notwithstanding  the  great  distance  it  was 
transported.  These  mines,  as  they  have  been  in  the  past, 
will  continue  to  be  a  source  of  large  revenue  to  the  pro- 
prietors. 

The  mines  in  the  Organ  Mountains,  near  the  Rio 
Grande,  are  not  in  operation.  The  Stevenson,  Harris, 
and  others  are  certainly  good  mines,  and  will  be  made 
profitable.  In  other  chapters  I  give  some  mining  notes, 
written  by  competent  persons  from  actual  observation. 

The  presence  of  two  thousand  troops  in  Arizona,  whose 
number  is  soon  to  be  doubled,  and  the  orders  lately  given, 
will  prove  the  death-warrant  of  the  Apaches.  It  has 
been  already  stated  that  their  bravest  and  most  danger- 
ous band  has  been  severely  punished,  with  the  loss  of 
their  principal  chief  and  many  men.  The  subordinate 
oflficers  of  the  California  Column  are  eager  for  the  fray, 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  to  1864.  67 

and  are  the  men  worthy  of  all  praise  for  endurance  and 
the  qualities  which  make  good  Indian  fighters.  I  antici- 
pate for  Arizona  a  steady  and  prosperous  career. 

The  Apaches — these  "  devils,"  as  they  are  well  called 
by  the  Mexicans — have  grown  more  daring  and  ferocious 
in  the  past  few  years.  Emboldened  by  the  shameful  neg- 
lect of  the  general  government,  they  stopped  and  robbed 
the  mails,  killed  travelers,  and  at  last  attacked  ranchos. 
Coming  into  possession  of  fire-arms,  they  grew  monthly 
bolder,  until  at  length,  in  1861,  gaining  a  doubtful  victory 
over  about  sixty  U.  S.  troops,  commanded  by  a  young, 
inexperienced  lieutenant,  they  declared  and  have  since 
maintained  open  war.  The  Federal  Government  has  been 
begged,  entreated,  prayed,  to  do  something,  but  it  has 
never  done  it  until  now.  I  think  I  never  saw  so  many 
astonished  and  angry  faces  as  I  did  when  reading  Presi- 
dent Lincoln's  last  annual  message  to  a  crowd  in  Tucson 
in  January  last.-  When  I  finished  that  portion  which  re- 
fers to  the  Indian  atrocities  in  Dacotah  and  Minnesota — 
"  What !"  said  every  one,  "  not  one  word  about  Arizona 
or  the  Apaches  ?  Why,  we  have  lost  ten  lives  where  they 
have  lost  one — thousands  of  dollars  where  they  have  lost 
hundreds." 

The  utter  neglect  by  the  government  of  this  Territory 
is  a  crime  which  has  brought  its  own  punishment,  but  we 
have  had  it  to  bear.  General  Carleton,  now  commanding 
in  Arizona,  has  a  large  force  at  his  disposal,  and  he  prom- 
ises to  "  clean  out"  the  Apaches  root  and  branch.  He 
can  do  it  with  the  means  at  his  disposal.  If  he  does  not, 
no  punishment  is  too  severe  for  him.  Few  commanders 
have  so  good  an  opportunity  to  become  public  benefac- 
tors. He  has  begun  badly,  and  wasted  much  valuable 
time,  but  he  can  bravely  redeem  it.* 

*  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  General  Carleton  has  gone  from  bad  to  worse. 
The  Apaches  have  not  been  subdued,  but  have  committed  their  worst 
outrages  under  Carleton's  weak  and  cowardly  policy. — S.  M.,  1864. 


68  Arizona  and  So7iora. 

My  own  success  is  ample  proof  that  the  Apaches  are 
not  a  serious  obstacle  to  the  working  of  mines  in  Arizona. 
The  danger  to  be  apprehended  is  on  the  roads,  and  this 
can  be  avoided  by  ordinary  caution.  In  fact,  almost  every 
disaster  has  been  caused  by  recklessness  or  utter  careless- 
ness in  taking  precautions  dictated  by  conrmon  sense. 

Governor  Pesqueira,  of  Sonora,  has  offered  a  bounty  of 
llOO  per  scalp  for  Apaches,  and  a  proportionate  sum  for 
animals  retaken  from  them.  This  should  be  imitated  by 
the  authorities  of  Arizona.  The  Pimos  and  Papago  In- 
dians would  be  most  valuable  auxiliaries  in  the  pursuit  and 
massacre  of  these  "human  wolves."  They  lately  killed 
about  sixty  Apaches  and  took  several  prisoners  in  a  single 
campaign.  The  children  of  the  Apaches,  when  taken 
young,  make  good  servants,  and  are  sold  by  the  Pimos  in 
the  Territory  and  in  Sonora. 

There  is  only  one  way  to  wage  war  against  the  Apaches. 
A  steady,  persistent  campaign  must  be  made,  following 
them  to  their  haunts — hunting  them  to  the  "  fastnesses  of 
the  mountains."  They  must  be  surrounded,  starved  into 
coming  in,  surprised  or  inveigled — by  white  flags,  or  any 
other  method,  human  or  divine — and  then  put  to  death. 
If  these  ideas  shock  any  weak-minded  individual  who 
thinks  himself  a  philanthropist,  I  can  only  say  that  I  pity 
without  respecting  his  mistaken  sympathy.  A  man  might 
as  well  have  sympathy  for  a  rattlesnake  or  a  tiger. 

The  foregoing  paragraphs,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
notes,  which  are  dated,  appeared  in  the  second  edition  of 
this  work,  published  in  1863.  I  append  some  notices  of 
the  condition  of  Arizona  subsequent  to  the  date  of  that 
edition : 

The  eastern  portion  of  Arizona,  bordering  on  the  Colo- 
rado River  and  thence  to  the  country  north  of  the  Pimos 
villages  on  the  Gila  River,  has  within  the  past  year  re- 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  to  1864.  69 

ceived  large  accessions  of  population.  Gold  in  quantity- 
is  found  on  the  Salinas,  the  Yerde,  and  other  tributaries 
of  the  Gila ;  and  the  silver  and  copper  mines  of  the  Colo- 
rado region  are  developing  with  unparalleled  richness. 

In  Southern  Arizona  work  has  been  commenced  anew 
on  the  Heintzelman  Mine,  with  results  which  promise  to 
falfill  all  that  has  been  claimed  for  this  noted  mine.  The 
Santa  Rita  mines  are  also  again  in  operation,  with  abun- 
dant capital.  The  Mowry  Silver  Mines  have  produced 
about  their  average  amount  of  silver  ;  and,  with  the  im- 
proved furnaces  soon  to  be  erected,  will  largely  increase 
the  yield. 

The  following  is  the  Report,  sent  by  telegraph,  of  Gui- 
do  Kiistel,  Metallurgist  and  Mining  Engineer,  upon  the 
Mowry  Silver  Mines : 

*♦  San  Francisco,  April  20,  1864. 

"  The  lode,  which  is  over  fourteen  feet  wide,  runs  east 
and  west,  between  limestone  and  granite-like  porphyry. 
It  consists  of  sulphurets  and  carbonates  of  lead  in  man- 
ganese, often  pure,  containing  iron,  frequently  in  large 
chambers.  Its  great  advantage  is  the  jDresence  of  iron, 
manganese,  lime,  and  lead,  so  that  the  necessary  fluxes 
are  in  the  ore  in  abundance.  The  greatest  depth  worked 
is  180  feet.     There  are  four  galleries. 

"  The  present  style  of  furnaces  and  system  of  purifica- 
tion are  more  like  waste  than  rational  Avorking.  Never- 
theless, these  furnaces  paid  all  expenses,  with  120  men 
employed. 

"  The  present  expense  of  working  six  tons  per  day  is 
fifteen  dollars  per  ton.  There  are  many  thousand  tons 
of  rock  out  in  front  of  the  main  shaft,  half  of  which  is  fit 
for  melting  after  very  simple  concentration. 

"Wood  is  abundant.  Live  oak  costs  one  dollar  and 
seventy-five  cents  a  cord. 

"  With  furnaces  four  feet  square  and  ten  feet  high,  and 


70  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

with  proper  treatment,  more  silver  at  less  expense  could 
be  extracted.  The  best  ore  produces  $350,  the  poorest 
$50  per  ton.  But,  even  reckoning  mining  and  reduction 
at  $20  jDcr  ton,  facts  and  calculations  show  that  the  nett 
profits  of  one  day's  work  of  twenty  tons  will  be  $1280." 

The  Esperanza  Mine  has  been  sufficiently  opened  to  de- 
monstrate its  great  value,  and  the  San  Antonio  is  at  work 
in  a  moderate  way,  giving  full  promise  of  proving  a  mine 
of  the  first  class. 

The  mining  interest  of  this  section  suffered  a  great  loss 
in  the  death  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Mills  and  Mr.  Edwin  Stevens, 
my  two  most  valued  assistants,  killed  by  the  Apaches. 

The  imbecile  and  cowardly  policy  of  the  commanding 
general  of  the  department*  has  caused  the  diminution  of 
our  people,  and  a  delay  in  again  settling  the  valleys  and 
opening  new  mines. 

Great  credit  is  due  to  Francis  Hinton,  of  Arizona  City, 
Henry  Grinnell,  Richard  Halstead,  and  J.  F.  Yaeger,  for 
their  persistent  exploration  of  the  Gila  and  Colorado  re- 
gions for  the  precious  metals.  They  deserve  to  reap  a 
rich  reward. 

The  Act  establishing  the  Territory  of  Arizona  was  ap- 
proved by  the  President  on  the  24th  of  February,  1863. 
Section  1  describes  the  boundaries  as  follows :  "  All  that 
portion  of  the  present  Territory  of  New  Mexico,  situated 
west  of  a  line  running  due  south  from  the  point  where 
the  southwest  corner  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado  joins 
the  northern  boundary  of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico, 
to  the  southern  boundary-line  of  said  Territory  of  New 

*  Brigadier  General  James  H.  Carleton,  United  States  Volunteers. 
It  is  understood  that  Arizona  is  taken  from  his  command  and  restored 
to  the  department  of  the  Pacific,  It  has  been  a  matter  of  great  sur- 
prise that  such  a  man  should  so  long  have  been  retained.  Under  the 
new  commander  it  is  hoped  protection  will  be  given,  and  this  portion 
of  Arizona  keep  pace  with  the  Colorado  region. 


Condition  of  Arizona  from  1859  to  1864.         71 

Mexico  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  erected  into  a  tempo- 
rary government  by  the  name  of  the  Territory  of  Arizo- 
na." This  section  also  provides  that  Congress  may  at 
any  time  divide  the  Territory  or  change  the  boundaries. 
The  second  section  makes  provision  for  the  appointment 
of  Territorial  officers,  and  extends  to  Arizona  all  the  laws 
and  enactments  of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico  not  in- 
consistent with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  until  they  shall 
be  repealed  or  amended  by  future  legislation.  Section  3 
enacts  "  that  there  shall  neither  be  slavery  nor  involun- 
tary servitude  in  the  said  Territory  otherwise  than  in 
the  punishment  of  crimes,  whereof  the  parties  shall  have 
been  duly  convicted ;  and  all  acts,  either  of  Congress  or 
of  the  Territory  of  New  Mexico,  establishing,  regulating, 
or  in  any  way  recognizing  the  relation  of  master  and 
slave  in  said  Territory,  are  hereby  repealed." 

The  Territory  thus  organized  contains  a  little  more 
than  120,000  square  miles,  commencing  at  a  point  where 
the  109th  degree  of  longitude  intersects  the  2'7th  degree 
of  north  latitude ;  thence  south  on  said  degree  of  longi- 
tude to  the  boundary-line  between  the  United  States  and 
old  Mexico ;  thence  west  on  the  said  boundary-line  to  the 
boundary-line  of  southeastern  California;  thence  north  on 
said  boundary-line  to  the  37th  degree  of  north  latitude; 
thence  east  on  said  parallel  of  north  latitude  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

The  white  population  of  the  Territory  is  roughly  estl 
mated  at  20,000,  but  the  number  is  rapidly  increasing, 
The  number  of  Indians  is  estimated  at  from  45,000  to 
58,000.  About  half  of  these  may  be  set  down  as  friend- 
ly to  the  whites,  the  other  half  hostile. 

The  capital  has  been  located,  at  least  temporarily,  at 
Fort  Whipple. 

The  following  are  the  officers  of  the  Territory:  Govern- 
or^ John  N.  Goodwin,  of  Maine ;  Secretary^  Richard  C. 


72  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

M'CoEMiCK,  of  New  York ;  Chief  Justices^  William  T. 
Howell,  of  Michigan,  and  Joseph  P.  Allyn,  of  Connec- 
ticut ;  District  Attoimey^  Almon  Gage,  of  New  York ; 
Surveyor  General^  Levi  Bashfoed,  of  Wisconsin ;  Mar- 
shal^ Milton  B.  Duffield,  of  California ;  Superintendent 
of  Indian  Affairs^  Chaeles  D.  Poston,  of  Kentucky. 


F,  Biertu  on  the  Mines  of  Arizona.  73 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   MINES   OF   ARIZONA.      REPORT   OF  F.  BIERTU,  METALLURGIST 
AND  MINING  ENGINEER,  WRITTEN  IN  FEBRUARY,  18G1. 

The  Mowry  (formerly  called  the  Patagonia)  Silver  Mines. — The  Lodes 
and  Ores. — Shafts  and  Tunnels. — Owners. — Management. — Eagle 
Mines. — Empire  or  Montezuma  Mine. — Santa  Rita  Mining  Com- 
pany.— Mariposa  Mining  Company. — Sonora  Exploring  and  Mining 
Company. — Cahuabi  Mining  Company. — Arizona  Copper  Mining 
Company. — Sopori  Land  and  Mining  Company. — Arizona  Land 
and  Mining  Company. — Colorado  River  Copper  Mines. — Stevenson 
Mining  Company. — Harris  Mine. — St.  Augustin  Mining  Company. 
— Coal  Mines. — Auriferous  Quartz. 

PATAGONIA,  NOW  MOWEY   SILVER  MINES. 

My  visit  to  the  Patagonia  Mine,  now  called  Mowry 
Silver  Mines,  has  lasted  four  days — the  time  necessary  to 
give  it  a  full  examination  in  all  its  parts,  and  to  make  a 
careful  assay  of  its  ores.  But  why  was  it  called  the  Pat- 
agonia Mine  ?  Is  it  because  it  is  situated  in  a  desert  in- 
habited only  by  Indians  ?  Such  were  the  questions  I  put 
to  myself  while  traveling,  and  which  I  thought  might  be 
answered  affirmatively.  Great  was  my  surprise,  howev- 
er, when,  instead  of  finding,  as  I  expected,  barren  mount- 
ains as  at  Washoe  and  Mono,  I  gazed  on  beautiful  land- 
scapes and  a  country  covered  with  trees  of  different  kinds, 
with  fertile  lands  perfectly  watered.  True  it  is  that  the 
nearest  neighbors,  the  Apaches,  are  far  from  being  even 
equal  to  the  Patagonians ;  but  this,  it  seemed  to  me, 
could  not  be  a  reason  for  giving  to  such  a  beautiful  spot, 
which  in  spring  must  be  covered  with  flowers,  so  sav- 
age a  name.     Mr.  Mowry  was  perfectly  right  to  alter  it. 

This  property,  containing  about  five  hundred  acres  of 
D 


V4  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

land,  is  situated  ten  miles  from  parallel  32°  20'  north  lati- 
tude, which  forms  the  limit  between  Arizona  and  Mexi- 
co, twenty  miles  from  Fort  Buchanan,  fourteen  from  the 
town  of  Santa  Cruz,  in  Sonora,  and  at  an  elevation  of 
6160  feet  from  the  level  of  the  sea;  and  a  good  road, 
280  miles  in  length,  and  which,  with  a  little  repair,  might 
be  made  excellent,  places  it  in  direct  communication  with 
Guaymas.  By  this  route,  freight  from  San  Francisco  to 
the  mine  does  not  go  beyond  five  cents*  per  pound.  The 
mine  is  situated  on  the  last  hills  forming  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Sierra  de  Santa  Cruz,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north- 
east by  extensive  plains  covered  by  the  mesquit  and  oak 
trees,  which  reach  the  line  of  Sonora,  whose  elevated 
mountains  rise  in  the  horizon.  Between  these  plains  and 
the  mine  is  to  be  seen  the  Sierra  Espuela,  called  also  Wa- 
chuka  Mountains. 

The  road  leading  to  the  mine  from  Fort  Buchanan 
crosses  a  range  of  hills  and  mountains  completely  cover- 
ed with  oak,  pine,  sycamore,  poplar,  willow,  and  hazlenut. 
The  land  and  the  hills  around  the  mine  are  covered  with 
green  oak,  cedar,  pine,  and  manzanitas.  The  whole  coun- 
try abounds  with  rabbits,  quails,  and  wild  turkeys.  It  is 
not  a  rare  occurrence  to  meet  droves  of  deer  and  ante- 
lopes numbering  from  twenty-five  to  thirty.  The  ama- 
teur of  more  intense  excitement  may  also  indulge  in  bear 
and  Apache  hunting. 

About  a  mile  from  the  mine,  and  near  a  little  village 
called  Commission,  of  some  fifteen  houses,  intended  for 
the  peons  and  laborers  of  the  mines,  there  is  a  creek,  call- 
ed Commission  Creek,  which  is  on  the  property  itself, 
whose  waters  never  dry  up,  and  which  are  more  than 
sufiicient  to  run  one  or  several  mills.  The  buildings  for 
residences,  and  those  for  stores  and  furnaces,  are  halfway 

*  Since  reduced  to  less  than  four  cents.  Return  freight  from  the 
mines  is  about  two  cents. 


F.  Biertu  on  the  Mines  ofArizo7ia.  15 

between  the  mine  and  the  small  village.  Near  by  there 
is  a  spring  of  excellent  water,  which  also  never  dries  up. 
There  are  other  springs  lost  in  the  hills,  and  which  may 
easily  be  tm-ned  to  some  purposes. 

The  Lodes  and  Ores, — The  principal  lode  of  the  Pata- 
gonia Mine  is  composed  principally  of  argentiferous  ga- 
lena, and  runs  south  85°  E.  Its  thickness,  which  increases 
as  it  dips  in  the  earth — now  eighty-three  feet  in  depth — is 
of  about  three  feet.*  Three  small  veins,  excessively  rich, 
cross  each  other  in  the  main  vein,  all  running  in  different 
directions.  The  size  of  these  small  veins  varies  from  ten 
to  nineteen  inches.  Other  veins,  whose  outcroppings  are 
visible  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  which  run  in  a  parallel 
direction  at  a  great  distance,  will,  according  to  all  prob- 
abiHties,  be  met  with  as  the  w^orking  of  the  mine  proceeds. 
No  prospects  have  as  yet  been  undertaken  to  ascertain 
the  nature  of  these  veins.  The  galena  of  the  principal 
vein  contains  a  small  quantity  of  copper  and  arsenic,  "it 
seemed  to  me  that  I  detected  appearances  of  zinc,  but  I 
had  no  means  to  ascertain  the  fact.  An  assay  of  the  dif- 
ferent ores  has  given  results  varying  from  |80  to  $706  in 
silver  per  ton,  and  up  to  sixty-two  per  cent,  of  lead. 
Their  reduction  is  of  the  utmost  facility. 

The  Shafts  and  Tunnels. — Unfortunately,!  all  the  oper- 
ations perfected  up  to  this  day  are,  I  might  say,  useless. 
The  labor  expended  on  shafts  and  tunnels  has  been  con- 
ducted so  carelessly — the  different  stratas  of  earth  have 
been  subjected  to  so  little  investigation,  that  while,  on 
one  hand,  unnecessary  expenses  and  labor  have  been  in- 
curred, on  the  other,  a  quantity  of  ore,  sufficient  probably 

*  Much  increased  in  width  and  richness  at  the  great  depth  of  over 
two  hundred  feet.  The  vein  often  spreads  out  into  chambers  of  pure 
ore  of  great  size,  no  gangue  appearing  between  the  side  walls.  Two 
peons  have  taken  out  ten  tons  of  rich  ore  in  one  day's  work. 

t  All  this  has  since  been  corrected,  and  the  mine  worked  under  the 
able  direction  of  a  skillful  mining  engineer,  Mr.  George  Habermann. 


76  Arizona  and  &onora. 

to  pay  for  the  whole  expenses  of  the  establishment,  has 
been  thrown  aside  as  worthless.  Ores  which  I  have 
picked  up  on  the  creek,  being  assayed,  have  given  the 
best  results  that  I  have  obtained. 

But  the  actual  owners  of  the  mines  are  not  the  ones 
who  ought  to  complain  of  the  bad  direction  of  the  works, 
for,  according  to  my  idea,  it  is  principally  this  bad  man- 
agement which  has  enabled  them  to  purchase  the  whole 
mine  at  a  comparatively  low  price.  However,  it  will  be 
easy  to  remedy  the  evil,  either  by  beginning  new  works 
in  a  more  suitable  locality,  or  by  modifying  those  already 
existing.  The  quality  of  the  mine  is  such  as  to  cover,  in 
a  short  space  of  time,  all  the  expenses  which  may  be  in- 
curred in  a  rational  manner. 

The  discovery  of  the  Patagonia  Mine  dates  only  from 
the  fall  of  1858,  but  it  would  appear  that  its  existence  was 
suspected  long  ago,  for  the  first  parcels  of  ore  gathered 
by  the  Mexicans  were  taken,  at  the  time  of  the  late  dis- 
covery, from  shafts  which  had  been  sunk  many  years  ago, 
and  which  had  been  abandoned. 

The  Oimiers. — The  first  owners  were  Colonel  J.  W. 
Douglass,  Captain  K.  S.  Ewell,  Lieutenants  J.  N.  Moore, 
Mr.  Randal,  Mr.  Lord,  and  Mr.  Doss  —  all  belonging  to 
the  United  States  Army  excepting  the  last  named  indi- 
vidual and  Colonel  Douglass.  These  parties  started  some 
preliminary  works — sunk  shafts,  extracted  a  certain  quan- 
tity of  ore,  and  built  up  several  furnaces  for  smelting. 
But,  being  short  of  capital  for  a  regular  system  of  reduc- 
tion on  a  large  scale,  two  of  the  principal  shareholders, 
Messrs.  Lord  and  Doss,  who  had  charge  of  the  whole 
mine,  sold  their  interest  during  the  year  1858-9  to  Mr. 
E.  Brevoort,  who  thereupon  became  superintendent  of  the 
mine  and  principal  owner. 

The  administration  of  Mr.  Brevoort  was  not  a  happy 
one.    The  mine,  which,  as  I  have  before  stated,  had  been 


F.  BiBrtu  on  the  Mines  of  Arizona.  7  W 

badly  opened  and  badly  worked,  being  turned  into  inex- 
perienced hands,  fared  much  worse.  A  certain  quantity  o£  ?7"5 
ore  was  extracted,  but,  whether  the  proceeds  tv^ere  expend- 
ed in  useless  operations,  or  for  any  other  purposes,  they 
were  not  sufficient  to  cover  the  costs  incurred.  These 
failures  gave  rise  to  disagreements  between  the  owners, 
which  could  not  be  settled  except  by  the  sale  of  their 
whole  interest,  which  Captain  Ewell  and  his  partners 
made  to  Mr.  Brevoort  this  last-named  gentleman  turning 
the  interest  immediately  over  to  Mr.  H.  T.  Titus.  But 
these  negotiations  did  not  put  a  stop  to  the  difficulties, 
which  were  renewed  on  account  of  the  payment  of  the 
purchase-money.  Consequently,  the  sale  of  the  whole 
was  resolved  upon,  and  the  conveyance  took  place  in  the 
spring  of  1860,  in  favor  of  Lieutenant  Mo  wry,  all  the  in- 
terested parties  joining  in  the  deed.  The  price  of  the 
mine,  including  the  lands  surrounding  it,  all  the  works 
and  establishment  standing  at  the  time,  fixed  at  $25,000, 
was  paid  in  cash  by  the  new  owner,  who  some  time  after 
sold  one  fifth  to  a  wealthy  capitalist  in  the  East.  Hence 
four  fifths  of  the  Patagonia  Mine  are  now  held  by  Mr. 
Mowry,  who  has  given  his  name  to  it.  In  the  hands  of 
the  last-named  gentleman,  and  under  the  direction  of  Mr. 
Charles  Mowry,  his  brother,  the  works  will  be  started 
with  unusual  activity.  Already  preparations  have  been 
made  to  carry  on  works  of  a  considerable  extent,  so  that 
next  summer  the  mine  will  be  in  full  operation. 

The  Management  of  the  Mine. — ^The  old  furnaces  hav- 
ing been  badly  constructed,  and  being  out  of  use,  they 
will  be  replaced  by  others  containing  all  the  later  improve- 
ments, either  for  smelting  or  refining.  A  steam-engine  of 
fifteen  to  twenty  horse  power  will  be  put  up  for  the  trit- 
uration of  the  ores,  for  the  working  of  the  pumps,  and  to 
run  a  saw-mill.  The  waters  of  the  creek  will  be  gathered 
in  large  reservoirs,  twelve  feet  in  depth,  constructed  by 


V8  Arizona  and  iSo7iora. 

means  of  thick  embankments.  Buildings  will  be  put  up 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  superintendent  of  the  mine 
and  the  reducing  establishment,  and  for  the  engineer  and 
other  employes.  A  laboratory  for  assays  will  also  be  an- 
nexed to  the  works.  The  ores  will  be  carried  from  the 
mine  to  the  reducing  establishment  by  a  railroad,  for  the 
building  of  which  Mr.  R.  Jones,  Jr.,  has  already  taken 
the  preliminary  steps.  Finally,  for  the  accommodation 
of  laborers,  numbering  from  seventy  to  eighty,  and  of  the 
inhabitants  on  the  frontiers  of  Sonora,  a  large  store  will 
be  opened  for  the  sale  of  all  sorts  of  j^rovisions  and  mer- 
chandise. The  expenses  to  be  incurred  this  year  to  put 
in  operation  the  different  projects  in  view  will  exceed  the 
sum  of  $60,000. 

'  Such  is  the  history  of  the  mine,  which  I  intended  to  re- 
late to  you  with  details,  because  within  a  short  space  of 
time  it  is  called  upon  to  rank  among  mines  of  the  first 
class.  Even  now,  in  the  neighborhood,  by  the  abundance 
and  richness  of  its  ores,  the  facilities  for  extraction  and 
reduction,  and  the  conveniences  of  the  locality,  it  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  in  Arizona.  Its  importance  would 
be  greatly  increased  if  a  project  in  which  rich  capitalists 
of  the  East  are  actively  engaged  is  put  in  execution,  which 
is  to  build  a  railroad  between  Guaymas  and  El  Paso,  in 
Texas,  which  would  connect  with  the  Pacific  Railroad. 
This  road,  following  the  ridge  of  the  Sierra  de  Santa  Cruz, 
Avould  run  at  a  distance  of  only  ten  miles  from  Mr.  Mow- 
ry's  mine. 

The  mine  which  I  have  just  described  is  not  the  only 
one  to  be  found  in  that  part  of  Arizona.  The  Santa  Cruz 
Sierra,  already  renowned  since  the  days  of  the  Jesuits, 
who  had  opened  in  that  locality  the  Compadre  and  French 
Mines,  has  lately  given  evidences  of  new  richness.  Be- 
sides the  two  which  I  have  just  named,  the  Boundary, 
Empire,  Eagle,  and  St.  Louis  Mining  Companies  form  a 
part  of  the  Sierra. 


F.  Biertu  on  the  3Imes  of  Arizona.  19 

OTHER  MINES. 

The  Eagle  Mine. — This  mine  is  situated  to  the  east  of 
the  Mowiy  Mine,  and  its  vein,  composed  of  argentiferous 
galena,  exactly  similar  to  the  Mowry  Mine,  is,  it  is  stated, 
its  continuation. 

The  San  Pedro  Mine. — This  mine  is  situated  on  the 
east  side  of  the  San  Pedro  River,  about  twenty-five  miles 
from  the  Overland  Mail  road,  and  half  a  mile  from  the 
river. 

Empire  or  Montezuma  Mine. — I  have  mentioned  above 
this  mine  as  forming  a  part  of  the  Santa  Cruz  Sierra.  It 
is  half  way  between  the  Mowry  Mine  and  the  town  of 
Santa  Cruz.  The  ores  are  composed  of  lead  and  silver. 
The  first  owners  were  Th.  Gardner  and  Hopkins,  who,  it 
seems,  sold  their  interest  out  to  New  York  companies. 

Santa  Rita  Mining  Company. — The  Sierra  de  la  San- 
ta Rita,  as  that  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  incloses  rich  deposits 
of  precious  ores.  The  Cazada,  Florida,  and  Salero  Mines 
are  united  in  one  company,  under  the  above  title.  The 
last  one  was  known  a  long  while  ago,  and  was  worked 
by  the  Jesuits.  In  that  one,  also,  the  argentiferous  gale- 
na dominates.  Shortly  furnaces  will  be  put  up  for  smelt- 
ing and  reducing ;  they  will  be  erected  on  the  very 
mountains  of  Santa  Rita,  which  are  to  the  east  of  Tubac, 
at  the  distance  of  about  ten  miles.  The  superintendent 
of  the  mine  is  Mr.  H.  C.  Grosvenor,  and  Mr.  Pompelly  is 
the  engineer.  The  capital  is  $1,000,000.  These  mines 
were  opened  in  1856. 

Mariposa  Mining  Company. — This  company  is  work- 
ing a  copper  mine,  situated  forty  miles  from  Fort  Breck- 
enridge,  at  the  junction  of  the  San  Pedro  and  Arrivaypa 
Rivers,  and  from  three  to  four  miles  south  of  the  Gila. 
The  road  known  as  the  Leach  Wagon  Road,  near  by, 
renders  the  transportation  of  the  ores   and  provisions 


80  Arizona  and  Sojiora, 

quite  easy.  It  is  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  A.  B.  Gray, 
ex-surveyor  of  the  United  States,  attached  to  the  commis- 
sion of  the  Mexican  frontiers,  and  engineer-in-chief  of  the 
Pacific  Railroad.  Mr.  Hopkins  is  the  engineer  of  the 
mines ;  the  house  of  Soulter,  of  New  York,  is  the  princi- 
pal owner. 

Sonora  Exploring  and  Mining  Company. — This  mine, 
situated  at  about  thirty  miles  from  Tubac,  in  the  Cerro 
Colorado,  is  one  of  the  principal  mines,  if  not  the  richest 
in  the  Territory.  The  company  is  working  the  vein 
known  as  the  Heintzelman  Mine,  rich  in  argentiferous 
coppers,  and  also  several  other  veins  on  the  Rancho  Ari- 
vaco.  The  actual  and  imperfect  system  of  reduction  is 
by  means  of  amalgamating  barrels.  Steam-engines  of 
forty  horse  power,  with  a  new  process  of  amalgamation 
and  refining,  will  soon  be  introduced.  One  of  the  princi- 
pal shareholders,  Mr.  Charles  D.  Poston,  is  the  director, 
and  at  the  same  time  lessee  of  the  mine  for  the  term  of 
ten  years.  This  company  was  incorporated  in  Cincinna- 
ti, Ohio,  with  a  capital  of  $2,000,000,  divided  into  20,000 
shares.  The  sum  already  expended  for  the  working  of 
this  mine  is  estimated  at  $230,000  either  in  ready  cash  or 
from  the  proceeds  of  the  mine. 

Cahuabi  Mining  Company. — The  mine  going  by  that 
name  is  near  meridian  112  and  32  north  latitude,  in  a  re- 
gion inhabited  by  the  Papagos  Indians.  The  argentifer- 
ous copper  ores  are  treated  according  to  the  Mexican 
amalgamatory  process  known  as  the  patio.  I  have  seen 
specimens  from  this  mine  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Herman 
Ehrenberg,  president  of  the  company,  of  extreme  rich- 
ness.   The  mine  was  opened  since  1859. 

Arizona  Copper  Mining  Company. — The  bad  adminis- 
tration and  the  difiiculties  of  transportation  have  been 
the  main  causes  why  this  mine,  so  rich,  and  which  created 
so  much  excitement  in  California  two  or  three  years  ago, 


F.  Biertu  on  the  Mines  of  Arizona.  81 

has  not  given  any  good  results.  Its  oxides  and  copper 
sulphurets  are  excessively  rich,  the  extraction  exceeding- 
ly easy,  and  the  veins  are  numerous.  Works  at  this 
present  moment  are  suspended.  This  mine  is  situated 
120  miles  southeast  from  Fort  Yuma.  It  was  opened  in 
1855,  and  the  company  was  incorporated  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Sopori  Land  and  Mining  Company. — The  mine  of  So- 
pori,  opened  many  years  ago,  had  in  Mexico  an  extensive 
reputation.  The  ores  extracted  were  exceedingly  rich 
in  gold  and  silver,  but  the  works  were  so  badly  carried 
on  that  the  vein  is  lost,  and  not  even  any  exterior  traces 
of  its  position  is  left.  A  few  arastras  in  bad  condition 
are  all  that  is  left  of  the  operations  there.  The  mine 
forms  a  part  of  the  Sopori  Ranch o,  of  an  area  of  21,000 
acres,  situated  west  of  the  Mai  Pais  Sierra,  and  south  of 
the  Canao  Rancho,  which  are  both  considered  as  the  best 
ranches  of  Arizona.  The  Sopori  Company  is  incorpo- 
rated in  Providence,  R.  I.,  with  a  capital  of  $1,000,000. 
Governor  Jackson  is  the  president;  Lieutenant  Mowry, 
one  of  the  principal  shareholders,  is,  at  the  same  time, 
one  of  the  trustees. 

Arizo7ia  Land  and  Mining  Company. — This  mine  is 
situated  north  of  the  Rancho  of  Sopori.  This  company 
owns  a  large  tract  of  land,  of  thirty-two  leagues  square, 
on  which  is  situated  the  old  silver  mine  of  San  Xavier, 
which  was  worked  during  the  time  of  the  Jesuits,  and 
which  appears  exceedingly  rich ;  other  veins,  equally  rich, 
are  to  be  found  in  the  centre  of  the  property,  on  the  Si- 
erra Tinaja.  The  company  was  incorporated  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  L,  with  a  capital  of  $2,000,000.  The  Honora- 
ble S.  G.  Arnold  is  the  president.  The  treasurer  is  Mr. 
Alfred  Anthony,  President  of  the  Jackson  Bank  of  Prov- 
idence. Colonel  Colt,  Lieutenant  Mowry,  and  other  rich 
capitalists  of  the  East,  are  the  actual  owners.    Mr.  Mow- 

D2 


82  Arizona  and  jSonora. 

ry  is  the  holder  of  more  than  one  half  of  the  stock  of  the 
company.  N.  Richmond  Jones,  Jr.,  is  the  engineer -in- 
chief  of  this  mine,  as  also  of  the  Sopori  Mine. 

Colorado  Miver  Copper  Mine. — About  three  years  ago 
a  Mr.  Halstead,  well  known  on  the  Colorado  districts  as 
an  indefatigable  prospector,  discovered  this  mine  on  the 
shores  of  the  river,  at  about  forty  miles  from  Fort  Yuma. 
Having  been  examined  and  tested  by  experts  from  New 
York,  they  found  it  to  be  very  extensive  and  very  rich. 
Several  tons  sent  to  San  Francisco  last  year  were  also  ad- 
mitted to  be  of  uncommon  richness.  Consequently,  la- 
borers were  engaged  in  Sonora,  and  preparations  made  to 
work  the  mine  on  an  extensive  scale.  Difficulties,  how- 
ever, eventually  arose  which  prevented  the  completion  of 
the  works.  The  mine  is  owned  by  Messrs.  Wilcox,  John- 
son, and  Hartshorn,  owners  of  the  steamer  navigating  the 
Colorado,  by  Mr.  Hooper,  principal  merchant  at  Fort 
Yuma,  and  by  Lieutenant  Mowry. 

Stevenson  Mining  Company.  —  This  mine  has  been 
worked  during  several  years  by  Mr.  Stevenson,  according 
to  the  Mexican  process,  and  yielded  him  from  |40,000  to 
$50,000.  Afterward  Mr.  Stevenson  sold  his  mine  to  Ma- 
jor Sprague,  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  who  organized  a  company 
in  New  York,  to  which  belong  General  Clarke,  Doctor 
Mills,  Mr.  Russell,  of  the  Pony  Express  and  Missouri  bonds 
notoriety,  and  several  other  persons.  The  mine  appears 
to  be  very  rich  in  silver  and  lead,  but  it  has  been  wretch- 
edly administered.  The  Stevenson  Mine  is  situated  on 
the  Rio  Grande,  not  far  from  Mesilla. 

Harris  Mine. — The  mine  belonging  to  this  company 
was  discovered  several  years  ago.  It  was  recently  pur- 
chased by  Lieutenant  Mowry  of  Judge  Hoppin,  Mr.  CunifF, 
and  Mr.  Bull.  This  mine  is  also  on  the  Rio  Grande,  six 
miles  from  the  Stevenson  Mine.  The  ore  is  composed  of 
lead  and  silver. 


F.  Biertu  on  the  Mines  of  Arizona,  83 

St.  Aiigustin  Mining  Company.  —  This  mine  is  also 
situated  on  the  Rio  Grande,  and  the  ores  are  like  the 
above. 

Several  other  silver  veins,  supposed  to  be  very  rich, 
have  been  discovered  on  the  same  river,  but  have  not  yet 
been  worked.  All  these  mines  of  the  Rio  Grande  are  to 
be  found  in  the  hills  at  the  foot  of  the  Organ  Mountains. 
Besides  silver,  copper,  and  lead  mines,  coal  mines  are  also 
to  be  found  near  the  Rio  Grande  in  the  Organ  Mountains, 
in  Arizona  Territory.  There  are  also  mines  of  jilumbago 
in  the  Sierra  Rita,  and  some  of  iron  in  different  localities. 

Traces  of  quicksilver  have  been  found  in  the  Heintzel- 
man  Mine,  belonging  to  the  Sonora  Company,  but  they 
own  particularly  rich  gold  placers  and  veins  of  auriferous 
quartz.  The  new  district  of  Pino  Alto,  whose  placer  dig- 
gings were  discovered  in  May  last,  and  which  have  yield- 
ed fine  results  in  gold  of  a  fine  quality,  is  also  rich  in 
quartz  veins. 

One  of  the  main  ones  is  the  one  known  by  the  name  of 
Jackson  Quartz  Vein,  owned  by  G.  A.  Oury,  of  Tucson, 
P.  T.  Herbert,  and  others.  The  vein  was  discovered  in 
July,  1860,  by  J.  J.  Jackson,  on  Bear  Creek,  about  thirty 
miles  from  the  Overland  Mail  station,  on  the  Mimbres  Riv- 
er, and  twenty-five  miles  from  the  Gila  River.  The  vein 
is  two  feet  in  thickness,  and  promises  to  become  exces- 
sively rich.  Specimens  taken  from  a  depth  of  ten  feet, 
and  which  were  handed  to  me  by  Mr.  Oury,  have  yielded 
more  than  $600  of  pure  gold  to  the  ton.  The  persons 
who  have  visited  the  Pino  Alto  District  speak  of  it  as  a 
section  of  country  exceedingly  healthy,  well  wooded,  but 
quite  barren  in  the  summer  months.  A  population  of  800 
to  1000  souls  inhabit  already  the  district  and  the  town 
bearing  its  name.  An  express,  connecting  with  that  of 
Wells,  Fargo  &,  Co.,  runs  between  that  town  and  Mesilla. 

Another  mine  of  auriferous  quartz,  which  is  stated  to 


84  Arizona  and  JSo7iora. 

be  quite  rich,  was  lately  discovered  ninety  miles  from 
Fort  Yuma,  on  the  Colorado.  The  owners  are  Messrs. 
Halstead  and  Yaeger,  residents  of  Fort  Yuma. 

On  the  Mimbres  River,  ninety  miles  from  the  Rio 
Grande,  are  to  be  found  the  renowned  mines  of  Santa 
Rita  del  Cobre,  worked  by  Mexicans  many  years  ago, 
and  well  known  for  their  richness.  These  mines  and  the 
Hanover  Copper  Mines,  situated  in  the  same  locality, 
were  profitably  worked  a  long  time  ago.  The  copper, 
worked  into  bars,  is  sent  to  New  York  by  way  of  Port 
Lavaca,  in  Texas.  Two  new  towns,  Mowry  City  and 
Burchville,  are  also  built  on  the  Mimbres  River. 

Auriferous  deposits  of  some  importance  are  also  to  be 
found  on  the  shores  of  the  Gila,  not  only  at  its  source, 
but  all  along  its  course.  When  we  passed  by  Gila  City 
three  weeks  ago,  nothing  was  spoken  of  but  the  discov- 
ery of  rich  deposits  of  gold  on  the  river.  It  was  stated 
that  Mexicans  were  gathering  from  ten  to  fifteen  dollars 
per  day.  Besides,  at  the  junction  of  the  Gila  and  the 
Colorado,  about  300  Mexicans  are  constantly  at  work, 
and  obtain  excellent  pay.  The  greater  part  of  this  gold 
is  forwarded  by  Mr.  Hooper,  of  Fort  Yuma. 

The  particulars  I  have  just  given  you,  although  already 

quite  lengthy,  are  far  from  containing  all  that  might  be 

stated  in  regard  to  the  mineral  wealth  of  that  Territory; 

but  I  must  stop  here,  as  I  only  intend  to  give  you  state- 

.  ments  entirely  correct. 

[To  the  foregoing  I  add,  that  the  reports  of  the  emi- 
nent metallurgist,  Guido  Ktistel,  who  has  lately  visited 
Southern  Arizona  on  a  scientific  tour,  show  conclusively 
that  it  is  one  of  the  richest  silver  regions  in  the  known 
world.  His  examination  of  different  mines  was  thor- 
ough, and  his  opinions  are  founded  upon  facts.  No  one 
is  more  capable  of  giving  sound  opinions  upon  mines  and 
mining. — S.  M.,J[864.] 


The  Colorado  JRwer  Mines  in  1864.  85 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  COLORADO  RIVER  MINES  IN  1864. 

Mining  on  the  Colorado. — The  Eiver  and  its  Navigation. — The  differ- 
ent Mining  Districts  on  the  Colorado.  —  Freight  and  Passage.  — 
Quality  of  the  Ores. — ^Mode  of  Working. — Furnaces  and  Fuel. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  Alta  California^  pub- 
lished during  the  month  of  April,  1864,  present  a  sum- 
mary of  the  condition  and  prospects  of  the  mining  region 
of  the  Colorado.     It  says  : 

In  consequence  of  movements  in  San  Francisco  to  se- 
cure the  full  and  cheap  navigation  of  the  Colorado  Riv- 
er, mining  operations  throughout  that  section  are  being 
pushed  with  energy.  Many  tunnels  and  inclines  are  be- 
ing run,  and  shafts  sunk.  Assays  of  different  ores  indi- 
cate values  per  ton  of  $85,  |170,  $70,  and  $30.  One  mill 
is  already  at  work,  crushing  chiefly  gold  ores,  and  arrange- 
ments are  in  progress  for  the  erection  of  a  first-class  mill, 
with  the  necessary  machinery  for  working  silver  ores, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Large  piles  of  rich  ore  have 
been  taken  out  of  the  various  tunnels  and  shafts,  of  which 
there  are  nine  mentioned  in  the  report  before  us.  Ex- 
tensive discoveries  of  salt,  free  from  impurities,  have  been 
made.  It  is  found  in  veins  similar  to  the  mineral  veins, 
underlying  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  and  varying  in 
width  from  eighteen  inches 'to  three  feet.  Discoveries 
of  coal  are  also  reported.  Several  mining  districts  are 
organized — the  San  Francisco,  Williams's  Fork,  La  Paz, 
etc.  The  mines  on  the  extreme  lower  river  are  chiefly 
valuable  for  copper ;  farther  up,  silver  and  gold  predom- 


86  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

inate.  The  San  Francisco  Mining  Press^  from  the  col- 
umns of  whicji'we  condense  the  above,  closes  its  article 
thus: 

"The  river,  which  is  now  attracting  a  large  share  of 
attention,  is  destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant rivers  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Its  topography  and  gen- 
eral characteristics  are  certainly  most  remarkable.  Tak- 
ing its  rise,  as  we  have  already  said,  in  the  Pike's  Peak 
mining  region,  it  constitutes  simply  a  mountain  stream 
until  it  reaches  the  vicinity  of  Black  Canon,  about  eighty 
miles  above  El  Dorado  Caiion.  From  this  point  to  its 
mouth,  a  distance  of  a  little  over  600  miles,  this  river  is 
navigable  for  river  steamers  of  a  small  draught ;  and  for 
500  miles  of  this  distance  the  entire  country  is  rich  in 
minerals  —  gold,  silver,  and  copper  —  down  to  its  very 
banks,  and  to  an  unknown  and  unexplored  distance  into 
the  interior.  All  kinds  of  miners'  supplies  will  soon  be 
delivered  along  this  river,  via  the  Gulf  of  California,  for 
a  price  not  greater  than  that  now  charged  for  the  deliv- 
ery of  goods  at  Nevada  City  or  Placerville.  Freight  has 
already  been  delivered  at  La  Paz  for  three  cents  per 
pound." 

The  Alta  California  then  furnishes  the  following  de- 
tailed description  of  the  mining  districts  upon  the  Colo- 
rado, and  the  modes  of  working  in  use  there : 

The  mining  districts  on  the  banks  of  the  Lower  Colo- 
rado continue  to  preserve  their  attractions  for  a  consid- 
erable number  of  miners  who  have  been  in  them  for  sev- 
eral years.  They  have  as  yet  produced  little  bullion,  but 
they  promise  to  increase  in  importance,  and  to  furnish  no 
small  portion  of  the  gold,  silver,  and  copper  crop  of  this 
coast. 

The  Colorado  River  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Califor- 


The  Colorado  River  Mines  in  1864.  87 

nia  ill  latitude  31°  40/  and  for  ninety-five  miles  above 
that  point  the  river  runs  through  a  low  plain.  At  Fort 
Yuma,  as  we  ascend  the  river,  the  mineral  region  com- 
mences.   The  various  districts  are  as  follows : 

I.  Yuma  or  Pichaco  District^  on  the  western  side  of 
the  river,  near  Eort  Yuma.  There  may  be  100  miners, 
mostly  Mexicans,  engaged  in  dry  washing  for  placer  gold. 
There  are  some  rich  lodes  of  silver  and  copper,  and  a  few 
veins  of  auriferous  quartz. 

II.  Castle  Dome  District,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Colorado,  between  that  stream  and  the  Gila.  There  may 
be  100  miners  here  engaged  in  silver  mining.  The  ores 
are  rich,  but  they  are  from  eighteen  to  thirty-five  miles 
from  the  river.  Some  furnaces  are  now  building  for 
smelting  the  ores.  The  chief  town  is  Castle  Dome  City, 
which  has  four  or  five  houses,  and  is  thirty  miles  above 
Fort  Yuma,  by  the  river. 

III.  Eureka  District,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Colora- 
do, twenty-five  miles,  by  land,  above  Fort  Yuma,  is  twen- 
ty-eight miles  long  on  the  river  bank,  and  twelve  miles 
wide.  There  are  100  miners  there,  of  whom  a  majority 
are  Mexicans.  The  mines  are  silver,  lead,  and  copper, 
and  very  near  the  river.  The  country  or  bed  rock  is 
granite  and  slate ;  the  silver  veins  are  in  pink  and  white 
quartz ;  the  lodes  are  from  two  to  ten  feet  thick.  The 
chief  town  is  Williamsport,  which  contains  one  stone 
house  and  many  tents,  and  is  forty-five  miles,  by  the  riv- 
er, above  Fort  Yuma. 

IV.  Weaver  District,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river, 
ninety  miles  above  Fort  Yuma.  The  mines  are  copper, 
silver,  and  gold.  The  principal  town  is  Olive  City,  which 
has  twenty  houses,  and  is  150  miles,  by  the  river,  above 
Fort  Yuma.  The  ledges  which  are  now  being  Avorked 
are  situated  at  from  six  to  fifteen  miles  of  the  steam-boat 
landing  at  Olive  City.  -  Among  these  are  the  Great  Cen- 


88  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

tral,  Colorado,  Blue  Ledge,  American  Pioneer,  Weaver, 
Henry  Barnard,  and  others. 

V.  La  Paz  District^  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Colo- 
rado, 100  miles  above  Fort  Yuma.  It  contains  500  min- 
ers, who  are  engaged  in  silver,  copper,  and  lead  veins,  and 
in  gold  placers.  There  are  some  Mexican  smelting  fur- 
naces at  La  Paz,  the  chief  town  of  the  district,  and  ore  is 
regularly  shipped  to  San  Francisco.  La  Paz  City  has 
150  houses,  and  is  155  miles,  by  the  river,  from  Fort 
Yuma. 

VI.  Chemahueva  District^  on  the  western  side  of  the 
river,  opposite  La  Paz. 

VII.  ill  Dorado  Canon  District^  on  the  western  side 
of  the  river,  250  miles,  by  land,  above  Fort  Yuma,  con- 
tains a  population  of  about  300  miners,  and  has  some  rich 
silver  and  copper  lodes. 

There  are  several  other  districts  along  the  river,  but 
some  of  them  are  almost  unknown  save  to  a  few  pros- 
pectors, who  are  wandering  about  in  them.  The  Walk- 
er Placer  Mines,  on  the  foot-hills  of  the  San  Francisco 
Mountains,  are  150  miles  east  of  La  Paz.  The  diggings 
are  good  there,  but  the  Indians  are  troublesome.  Per- 
sons bound  for  those  mines,  from  California,  usually  go 
through  La  Paz. 

Freight  for  the  Colorado  mines,  from  San  Francisco, 
goes  by  sailing  vessels,  in  a  voyage  of  three  or  four  weeks 
ordinarily,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado,  at  a  cost  of  $20 
per  ton.  There  are  four  steam-boats  on  the  Colorado 
River;  and  they  charge  $25  per  ton  to  Williamsport, 
and  175  to  La  Paz,  from  the  mouth.  The  stream  is  about 
350  yards  wide,  and  the  channel  averages  five  feet  deep, 
but  it  has  a  swift  current,  and  a  bed  of  quicksand,  which 
is  constantly  shifting.  In  the  dry  season,  the  steamers 
have  much  difficulty  above  Williamsport  in  ascending 
the  rapid  stream,  in  which  no  experience  can  enable  a 


The  Colorado  River  Mines  ifi  1864.  89 

pilot  to  know  where  the  channel  will  be  to-morrow,  how- 
ever familiar  he  may  be  with  it  to-day.  The  steamers 
take  six  days  in  low  water  in  going  from  the  mouth  up 
to  La  Paz.  It  is  thought  the  price  of  freight  will  fall,  in 
consequence  of  competition  and  opposition.  Flour  at  La 
Paz  is  worth  $9  per  100  pounds. 

There  is  not  a  good  silver  mill  in  the  whole  Colorado 
county,  and  not  one  mine  is  opened  so  that  a  large  amount 
of  ore  could  be  supplied  at  a  short  time,  but  the  vein 
stone  is  known  to  be  good.  The  Apache  Chief  and  the 
Providencia  Mines,  in  the  La  Paz  District,  and  the  Carmel, 
in  the  Eureka  District,  among  others,  have  shipped  ores 
to  this  city.  The  Arizona  Company,  in  the  Eureka  Dis- 
trict, has  sent  down  sacks  to  hold  500  tons  of  their  ore, 
rich  argentiferous  galena,  which  is  to  be  shipped.  The 
Margarita,  River,  Norma,  Enterprise,  Rockford,  Gray  Ea- 
gle, Cache  Knob,  Cocomongo,  and  Rosario,  of  the  same 
district,  have  smelted  rich  ores  in  Mexican  furnaces.  The 
ores  of  the  two  last-named  mines  yielded  seventy  ounces 
of  silver  to  the  ton. 

The  silver  ores  of  the  Colorado  Valley,  or  nearly  all  of 
them,  contain  large  quantities  of  either  copper  or  lead, 
both  of  them  unfitted  for  amalgamation.  No  attempt  has 
yet  been  made  to  reduce  the  cupriferous  ores ;  those  are 
either  neglected  or  shipped  to  Europe.  The  chief  atten- 
tion of  the  miners  is  turned,  therefore,  to  the  argentiferous 
galena.  That  found  in  the  Cache  Knob  and  Arizona 
Mines  contains  sixty  per  cent,  of  lead  and  sixty  to  100 
ounces  of  silver  to  the  ton.  This  and  similar  ores  are 
reduced  by  smelting,  which  is  managed  by  Mexicans  in 
the  rudest  manner. 

The  rock  is  crushed,  not  with  stamps  or  arastras,  but 
between  two  flat  stones,  the  upper  one  being  worked  by 
hand.  Some  of  the  workmen  stop  when  there  are  no 
pieces  of  ore  larger  than  a  hazel-nut,  and  others  will  not 


90  Arizona  and  JSonora. 

have  a  piece  larger  than  a  pea ;  very  few  insist  on  reduc- 
ing the  ore  to  a  fine  flour,  as  is  done  in  good  silver  mills. 
The  finer  the  ore,  the  quicker  the  smelting,  and  the  more 
thorough  the  separation  of  the  metal. 

The  furnace  is  built  of  stone  and  adobes,  ten  feet  long, 
four  feet  wide,  and  eight  feet  high.  The  inside  is  lined 
with  clay  mixed  with  bone-dust,  this  being  the  best  ma- 
terial to  be  had  there  for  resisting  the  action  of  the  fire. 
The  bellows  is  worked  by  hand.  It  is  made  of  canvas, 
and  has  two  horizontal  chambers,  each  about  as  wide  and 
half  as  long  as  a  barrel.  These  two  chambers  or  bellows 
are  put  on  a  level  with  a  man's  breast ;  and  the  workman 
pulls  out  the  board  end  of  one  bellows,  while  he  pushes  in 
the  board  end  of  the  other.  Each  chamber  has  its  own 
pipe,  but  the  two  unite,  and  thus,  by  the  alternate  move- 
ments of  the  arms,  a  constant  stream  of  air  is  kept  up. 

The  fuel  used  in  smelting  is  charcoal,  made  of  mes- 
quit,  which  gives  a  fire  of  intense  heat.  Twenty-five  or 
thirty  pounds  of  ore  are  put  in  at  intervals  of  ten  or  fif- 
teen minutes,  and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  and  a  half  or 
two  hours  they  tap  the  furnace,  let  out  the  metal,  clean 
out  the  slag,  and  commence  anew.  The  metal  which  has 
run  out,  called  2^planclia^  weighs  from  125  to  150  pounds, 
and  contains  only  about  one  half  of  one  per  cent,  of  silver 
to  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  lead,  with  a  few  other  base  sub- 
stances. 

After  all  the  ore  on  hand  is  smelted,  refining  com- 
mences. Two  or  three  planchas  are  put  into  the  furnace 
and  melted,  and  kept  at  a  high  heat.  The  lead  turns  to 
litharge,  which  is  raked  ofi",  and,  as  the  molten  metal  de- 
creases in  quantity,  more  planchas  are  added,  until  the 
lead  has  all  been  converted  into  litharge,  and  the  silver 
remains  pure  enough  to  be  sent  to  the  market.  The  lith- 
arge is  worth  seven  cents  per  pound,  and  brings  nearly 
as  much  as  the  silver. 


The  Colorado  Biver  Ilines  in  1864.  91 

There  are  numerous  furnaces  of  this  kind  in  the  Colo- 
rado region,  nearly  all  of  them  worked  by  Mexicans. 
It  is  plain  that,  if  ore  will  pay  for  such  working,  there 
must  be  silver  in  it.  The  Mexicans  oifer  to  pulverize, 
smelt,  and  refine  for  $40  per  ton.  Some  Frenchmen  at 
Olive  City  have  a  better  class  furnace,  and  rumor  says 
they  are  doing  well.  The  Americans  are  anxious  to  get 
stamps  and  good  furnaces.  The  Recorder  of  the  Eureka 
District,  Mr.  Spann,  is  no|j|^  in  this  city  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  fire-brick  for  furnaces,  for  the  clay  and  bone- 
dust  will  not  last  long  in  a  heat  hot  enough  to  smelt  sil- 
ver. 

The  Colorado  valley  may  not  be  equal  to  Paradise  for 
a  home,  but  it  is  rich  in  silver,  and  silver  mines  are  not 
generally  found  in  the  most  fertile  valleys  and  the  most 
genial  climes.  There  are  probably  no  silver  mines  in  the 
world  so  near  the  level  of  the  sea  as  those  at  Eureka. 


92  Arizona  and  So7iora, 


CHAPTER  V. 

SONORA  FROM  1859  TO  1864. 

Improvements  since  1859. — The  Southern  Pacific  Railroad. — The 
Overland  Mail — Guaymas. — Labor  in  Sonora. — Great  Mining  Ha- 
ciendas.—The  Mining  Districts,  ^amos,  San  Xavier,  Las  Bronces, 
Los  Cedros. — Price  of  Labor. — The  Jecker  Contract  for  the  Survey 
of  Sonora. — Captain  Stone's  Scientific  Commission. — Its  Failure. — 
What  it  accomplished. — Extracts  from  Captain  Stone's  Letters. — 
What  the  Contract  granted. — Present  Condition  of  Sonora. 

The  prospects  of  Sonora  have  much  improved  since 
1859.  The  constitutional  power  of  the  state  has  been 
boldly  asserted,  and  maintained  with  courage  and  ability 
by  Governor  Pesqueira ;  the  disturbances  caused  by  the 
Yaqui  Indians  suppressed  with  a  firm  hand,  revolutions 
nipped  in  the  bud,  and  profound  peace  maintained  for  a 
long  time  past.  A  new  port,  La  Libertad,  on  the  Gulf 
of  California,  above  Guaymas,  has  been  opened,  giving  an 
immediate  outlet  to  the  valuable  district  of  Altar  and 
northeastern  Sonora,  and  to  Arizona.  A  liberal  grant 
has  been  made  by  the  Legislature  of  Sonora  to  an  East- 
ern company,  ably  represented  by  General  Angel  Trias, 
for  the  right  of  way  of  a  railroad  from  Guaymas  to  El 
Paso,  to  connect  with  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad. 

This  road,  which  would  now  have  been  in  an  advanced 
state  had  it  not  been  for  the  civil  war  in  the  United 
States,  must  some  day  be  built.  The  extension  of  tlie 
Opelousas  Railroad  from  New  Orleans,  with  the  Mem- 
phis branch  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  El  Paso,  then  to 
Guaymas,  will  surely  be  built  before  any  other  road, 
when  wise  counsel  shall  take  the  place  of  the  madness 
of  the  hour,  and  peace  again  shed  her  benignant  smile 


Sonora  from  1 85 9  ^o  1 864.  93 

over  our  unhappy  country.  European  capital,  witli  the 
valuable  grants  in  aid  of  constructing  the  road,  was  se- 
cured to  a  sufficient  amount  to  insure  its  rapid  comple- 
tion. The  calculations  on  which  this  foreign  aid  was 
procured  remain  valid,  and  the  development  of  Sonora 
and  Arizona  will  increase  their  value.  The  great  valley 
of  the  Mississippi  will  be  placed  in  easy  communication 
with  the  Pacific — a  communication  most  devoutly  to  be 
wished.  An  immense  item  —  never  yet  noted,  I  believe, 
in  the  trade  of  such  a  road  —  will  be  the  freight  of  un- 
numbered tons  of  ores,  not  sufficiently  rich  to  bear  the 
present  costly  transportation.  As  a  friend,  who  is  more 
poetical  than  pious,  remarked  to  me, "  God  never  intend- 
ed these  ores,  worth  ten  or  twenty  dollars  a  ton,  to  re- 
main useless  forever."  I  see  no  reason  to  change,  in  any 
degree,  ray  opinion  of  the  great  superiority  of  the  south- 
ern route  along  the  32d  parallel  for  the  Overland  Mail 
and  Pacific  Railroad. 

A  temporary  and  partial  success  during  the  very  mild 
winter  of  1862  and  '63,  of  the  Northern  Overland  Mail, 
is  no  decided  proof  in  its  favor.  "  One  swallow  does  not 
make  summer."  The  advantage  of  climate  —  and  vastly 
less  cost — is  indisputably  with  the  southern  route.  I 
have  therefore  reproduced,  in  a  subsequent  chapter,  an 
extract  from  the  speech  of  Senator  Davis,  and  my  own 
brief  remarks.  I  stand  by  them,  and  am  willing  to  risk 
what  little  of  reputation  I  may  have  on  their  accuracy. 

A  considerable  amount  of  Eastern  capital  has  been  in- 
vested in  city  lots  in  Guaymas,  and  landed  property  near 
this  magnificent  port.  The  founderies  of  this  city  (San 
Francisco)  are  turning  out  engines,  mills,  and  costly  ma- 
chinery for  the  several  mines  owned  in  part  here.  The 
steam-ship  line  established  between  San  Francisco  and 
Guaymas  is  not  only  a  permanent  "institution,  but  the  com- 
munication will  soon  be  greatly  facilitated  by  the  addi- 


94  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

tion  of  another  steamer  to  the  route.  The  last  steamer 
went  full  to  her  guards  with  freight  and  passengers,  and 
this  is  but  the  beginning.  I  am  drawing  no  fancy  pic- 
ture. The  reader  can  inquire  for  himself.  I  repeat,  with 
a  sincere  conviction  of  their  truth,  the  words  of  Ward  in 
his  able  work  on  Mexico :  "  I  am  aware  that  many  of  the 
statements  in  this  and  the  preceding  books,  respecting 
the  mineral  riches  of  the  north  of  New  Spain  (Sonora, 
Arizona,  Chihuahua,  and  Durango),  will  be  thought  ex- 
aggerated. They  are  not  so.  They  icill  he  confirmed  hy 
every  future  report;  and  in  after  years,  the  public,  famil- 
iarized with  facts  —  ichich  are  questioned  only  because 
they  are  new — loill  loonder  at  its  present  incredulity^  and 
regret  the  loss  of  advantages  which  may  not  alioays  be 
within  its  reach?'' 

I  submit  the  descriptions  contained  in  the  following 
chapters  of  various  mines  in  Sonora  to  the  attentive  con- 
sideration of  the  public.  Detailed  notices  of  La  Cananea, 
Cieneguita,  and  others,  are  given,  not  to  show  that  they 
are  the  only  good  mines,  but  as  types  of  different  classes 
of  mines  which  are  found  in  the  state. 

The  question  of  labor  is  one  which  commends  itself  to 
the  attention  of  the  capitalist :  cheap,  and,  under  prop- 
er management,  efficient  and  permanent.  My  own  ex- 
perience has  taught  me  that  the  lower  class  of  Mexicans, 
with  the  Opata  and  Yaqui  Indians,  are  docile,  faithful, 
good  servants,  capable  of  strong  attachment  when  firmly 
and  kindly  treated.  They  have  been  "  peons"  (servants) 
for  generations.  They  will  always  remain  so,  as  it  is 
their  natural  condition.  The  master,  if  he  consults  his 
own  interest,  and  is  a  proper  person  to  carry  on  extensive" 
works,  is  (in  their  own  language)  their  "«mo  y  patro7i''* 
— "guide,  philosopher,  and  friend."  They  depend  upon 
him,  and  serve  him  willingly  and  well. 

I  can  fairly  assert  that,  although  having  large  pecunia- 


Sonorafrom  1859  to  1864.  95 

ry  interests  in  both  Arizona  and  Sonora,  I  have  not  exag- 
gerated the  advantages  or  palliated  the  drawbacks  to  the 
investment  of  capital  and  personal  enterprise  in  these 
states.  They  are  part  of  the  Pacific  Empire,  in  which  I 
claim  a  citizenship  of  more  than  ten  years.  In  these 
pages  I  have  had  but  one  desire :  to  state  things  as  they 
are,  and,  in  the  spirit  of  an  honorable  ambition,  to  con- 
nect my  name,  in  a  permanent  and  useful  way,  with  her 
magnificent  progress  to  a  place  among  the  powers  of  the 
world. 

To  appreciate  what  wonderful  internal  resources  Sono- 
ra has,  one  should  visit  the  Hacienda  de  la  Alameta,  fif- 
teen miles  from  Hermosillo,  owned  by  Don  Manuel  Yiii- 
go,  or  of  La  Labor,  owned  by  the  Astizarans.  A  few 
weeks  since,  with  a  member  of  the  Ynigo  family,  I  went 
over  the  Alameta.  There  are  miles  of  wheat,  corn,  and 
sugar-cane.  An  immense  field  is  being  cleared  for  cot- 
ton. Some  specimens  of  the  cotton,  of  good,  fine  staple, 
growing  wild,  were  exhibited.  A  flour-mill  of  the  best 
description,  with  abundance  of  water  poAver ;  sugar  mill 
and  works ;  a  manufactory  of  blankets,  the  wool  for  which, 
and  the  dye-stuffs,  are  grown  on  the  place;  a  wagon 
manufactory  is  also  carried  on  for  the  sole  use  of  the  ha- 
cienda; tobacco  also  is  produced,  of  excellent  quahty; 
oranges,  lemons,  pomegranates,  and  other  tropical  fruits, 
of  delicious  flavor,  are  grown  in  abundance.  These  places 
are  simply  principalities,  where  a  man  has  all  the  prod- 
ucts of  the  earth  under  tribute  and  at  hand.  The  large 
cotton  mill  near  La  Labor,  at  San  Miguel,  has  been  offer- 
ed to  San  Francisco  capitalists  on  liberal  terms.  The  cot- 
ton can  be  raised  at  its  very  door.  Indigo,  Brazil  wood, 
cochineal,  and  other  dye-stuffs,  grow  spontaneously  in  the 
Yaqui  and  Mayo  valleys ;  also  coffee  of  the  best  quality. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  principal  mining  dis- 
tricts of  the  State  of  Sonora : 


96  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

Alamos  is  situated  some  240  miles  southeast  from  the 
port  of  Guayraas.  This  district  is  particularly  rich  in 
silver  leads.  The  principal  or  most  noted  mines  are  ISTue- 
stra  Seiiora  de  V^lvanero,  in  the  small  Real  of  Promon- 
torio,  five  miles  north,  which  has  been  owned  and  work- 
ed by  the  family  of  Almadas  for  the  last  century.  The 
present  owner,  Don  Jose  M.  Almada,  is  now  working  a 
deposit  of  black  ores,  which  he  found  at  a  depth  of  600 
feet,  with  surprising  results.  His  reduction  works  are 
^  situated  at  Los  Mercedes,  about  two  miles  to  the  east  of 
Alamos.  The  mines  of  Dios  Padre,  Santo  Domingo,  Lib- 
ertad  Cotera,  and  many  others,  are  in  the  immediate  vi- 
,  cinity  of  Fromontorio.  The  Real  of  Minas  Nuevas,  about 
two  miles  east  of  Alamos,  contains  many  rich  mines; 
among  them  San  Jose  Uvalama,  Discobredora,  Rosario 
de  Talpa,  Sambono,  and  others.  The  Rosario  de  Talpa 
and  the  Sambono  are  now  successfully  worked  by  Juan 
A.  Robinson,  of  Guaymas,  and  T.  Robinson  Bours,  of 
Stockton.  The  district  of  Alamos  contributes  very  large- 
ly to  the  export  of  silver  from  Sonora. 

San  Xavier  is  distant  about  140  miles  from  the  port 
of  Guaymas  in  a  northeast  direction,  and  about  the  same 
distance  southeast  from  the  city  of  Hermosillo,  approach- 
able from  both  points  by  an  excellent  wagon  road.  This 
is  one  of  the  oldest  and  richest  mineral  districts  of  Sono- 
ra. There  are  many  mines  situated  within  a  radius  of 
about  three  miles,  viz..  Las  Bronces,  Las  Cruzecitas,  Las 
Afucseiios,  Las  Cumbres,  La  Division,  La  Naguila,  Las 
Animos,  La  Sierra,  and  many  others.  The  most  import- 
ant are  Las  Bronces,  worked  by  Don  Mateas  Alsua,  who 
has  erected  extensive  reduction  works,  having  stamps, 
barrel  furnaces,  etc. ;  his  ores  are  treated  by  the  Freyburg 
process,  yielding  about  $1000  per  day.  Mr.  Alsua  is  also 
working  the  Naquila. 

Las  Bronces  is  situated  about  200  yards  lower  down 


So7iora  from  1859  to  1864.  97 

than  Las  Cruzecitas.  The  latter,  which  now  belongs  to 
the  Las  Cruzecitas  Mining  Company  of  this  city,  has  been 
extensively  developed ;  ten  tons  can  be  raised  daily,  and, 
when  farther  elaborated,  will  yield  much  greater  quanti- 
ties. The  vein,  which  is  particularly  well  defined,  in- 
creases in  width  and  richness  as  it  descends ;  and  now, 
at  a  depth  of  145  feet,  the  vein  is  nine  feet  wide.  The 
ore  of  the  pilares  is  very  rich,  while  that  from  the  mine 
averages  over  $150  per  ton  all  through.  The  petanque 
(the  miner's  name  for  rich  suljihurets  of  silver)  extract- 
ed from  the  lower  excavations  assays  over  $3000  per 
ton  of  2000  pounds.  The  company  will  erect  reduction 
works  at  the  mines,  and  think  to  be  in  operation  about 
the  1st  of  October  next.  The  company  is  managed  by 
persons  of  wealth  and  high  responsibility.  About  fifteen 
miles  fron  San  Xavier  is  San  Antonio  de  la  Huerta,  at 
which  place  is  located  La  Mina  Prieta  Musidora  and  other 
valuable  mines.  In  the  district  of  Saquaripa  are  many 
valuable  mines  of  both  gold  and  silver;  the  famous  Mula- 
tas  Mine  has  yielded  millions  of  fine  gold,  and  the  Ciene- 
guita  Mines,  worked  by  Mr.  Robinson,  of  Guaymas,  are 
in  that  vicinity. 

Los  Cedros^  belonging  to  Don  Jose  Santos  Terminel, 
is  situated  in  the  district  of  Barroyaca,  near  the  small 
town  of  Tesopaco,  forty -five  leagues  from  Guaymas  in 
the  direction  of  Alamos.  This  is  a  very  rich  mine,  and 
has  been  extensively  worked.  It  is  surrounded  by  rich 
and  arable  lands.  A  permanent  stream  of  water  flows  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  mine. 

The  State  of  Sonora  is  particularly  favored  for  mining 

operations,  having  plenty  of  fuel,  pasture,  and  water,  labor 

being  abundant  and  cheap ;  common  laborers,  "  peons," 

to  be  had  at  from  thirty- seven  and  one  half  cents  per 

day,  and  furnaco  -  tenders  at  from  fifty  to  seventy -five 

cents. 

E 


98  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

I  proceed  to  give  a  brief  history  of  the  Jecker  contract 
for  the  survey  of  the  State  of  Sonora. 

In  the  year  1857,  Messrs.  Juan  Bautista  Jecker  &  Co., 
Don  Antonio  Escandon,  and  Don  Manuel  Payno,  of  the 
city  of  Mexico,  on  the  one  part,  and  J.  B.  G.  Isham,  of 
San  Francisco,  California,  on  the  other,  entered  into  a 
contract  for  the  survey  of  the  public  lands  of  Sonora. 
The  contract  was  based  upon  a  grant  to  the  house  of  J. 
B.  Jecker  &  Co.  by  the  general  government  of  Mexico, 
the  terms  of  which  were  an  absolute  transfer  of  one  third 
of  all  the  public  lands  (terrenos  baldios),  with  the  right 
of  purchasing  any  portion  of  the  two  thirds  remaining  to 
the  general  government  for  cash,  in  preference  to  any 
person  offering  the  same  sum.  The  condition  of  this 
grant  being  an  accurate  survey,  with  maps,  of  the  public 
lands,  with  the  most  exact  description  possible  of  the  cli- 
mate, productions,  and  advantages  for  commerce  and 
agriculture.  The  time  allowed  for  this  survey  was  three 
years. 

By  a  series  of  deeds,  this  contract  became  vested  in  the 
hands  of  Jecker  &  Co.,  J.  B.  G.  Isham,  S.  W.  Inge,  J.  Mora 
Moss,  Wm.  M.  Lent,  and  James  E.  Calhoun.  A  scientific 
commission  was  organized  under  the  command  of  Captain 
(now  General)  Charles  P.  Stone.  Perhaps  never  before 
was  so  excellent  an  organization  for  a  similar  purpose, 
consisting  of  so  many  accomplished  men  in  each  depart- 
ment. Vessels  were  purchased  for  the  survey  of  the  coast. 
The  head-quarters  of  the  commission  were  fixed  at  Guay- 
mas,  and  the  survey  carried  on  for  a  long  time  with  a  vig- 
or  and  accuracy  which  promised  an  early  and  successful 
completion  of  the  work,  thus  securing  to  the  contract' 
ors  a  property  whose  value  can  hardly  be  estimated  in 
ordinary  figures. 

Difliculties  sprang  up  between  the  state  government 
and  Captain  Stone,  which  at  first  delayed,  then  entirely 


Sonorafrom  1859  i?o  1864.  99 

paralyzed  the  work,  and,  finally,  the  scientific  commission 
was  expelled  from  Sonora  by  the  government  of  the  state. 

It  is  no  province  of  mine  to  enter  into  the  merits  of  this 
difiiculty.  There  are  two  radically  difi*erent  versions :  On 
the  one  hand.  Captain  Stone  being  charged  with  violating 
the  laws  of  the  state,  and  fomenting  revolution ;  on  the 
other,  it  is  claimed  that  the  state  government's  action  was 
illegal  and  uncalled  for.  The  commission  proceeded  to 
Arizona  and  built  a  little  village,  where  it  remained  idle 
for  months.  Captain  Stone  appealed  to  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment for  protection,  and  demanded  to  be  reinstated  in  his 
rights  In  Sonora.  The  TJ.  S.  government  did  not  sustain 
him.  !N'egotiations  with  eminent  capitalists  for  more 
funds  in  New  York,  all  completed,  were  broken  up  by  the 
continued  opposition  of  the  government  of  Sonora,  and 
other  causes,  and  the  work  has  not  been  renewed. 

The  regular  protests  and  legal  steps  were  taken  to  se- 
cure the  rights  of  the  owners  of  the  contract,  and  a  very 
able  opinion  from  Caleb  Cushing  as  to  the  validity  of  the 
contract,  and  its  binding  character  on  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment of  Mexico,  was  obtained.  This  opinion  was  answer- 
ed at  length  by  Mr.  Monteverde,  Secretary  of  State  for 
Sonora,  in  a  paper  which  is  claimed  by  his  friends  and  the 
opponents  of  the  Jecker  contract  to  be  able  and  conclu- 
sive. 

About  $250,000  was  expended  in  the  survey  as  far  as 
it  had  progressed,  and  a  much  smaller  sum  would  have 
completed  the  entire  work.  It  should  be  added  that  this 
contract  in  no  way  invalidates  private  titles  to  lands  or 
vested  rights.  It  includes  the  "  terrenes  baldios" — that 
is  to  say,  "  all  the  property  of  the  Federal  Government, 
waste  lands,  the  old  presidios,  the  Jesuit  and  Franciscan 
Missions,  the  lands  of  barbarous  tribes  of  Indians,  ene- 
mies of  the  white  race,  who  have  never  submitted  to  the 
laws ;  and,  lastly,  the  lands  occupied  by  private  individ- 


100  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

uals  to  which  they  have  no  legal  title,  comformable  to 
Mexican  laws." 

From  the  letters  appended,  it  will  be  seen  how  much 
had  been  accomplished.  I  was  in  Sonora  "in  1858,  and 
saw  a  considerable  portion  of  the  work,  and  since  many 
of  the  maps.  They  do  great  credit  to  Stone,  Jasper  and 
Robert  Whiting,  engineers,  and  to  the  other  gentlemen 
of  the  sm'vey.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  that  the  own- 
ers of  the  Jecker  contract  fully  believe  in  its  validity,  and 
in  their  ultimately  receiving  the  benefits  of  it.*  They  are 
men  of  capital  and  enterprise.  They  undertook  and  car- 
ried on  the  work  in  good  faith,  and  in  a  manner  commen- 
surate with  its  magnitude  and  the  great  return  they  were 
to  receive.  The  benefit  to  a  state  of  such  a  survey  can 
not  be  overestimated,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it  would  have 
been  undertaken,  except  under  a  liberal  contract,  for  many 
years. 

Extracts  from  Correspondence  of  Captain  Stone,  Chief  of  Commission. 

Guaymas,  May  19, 1858. 

The  engineers  on  board  have  carried  their  work  on  Pinacati  Bay 
about  thirty-six  miles,  which  will  bring  in  between  seven  and  eight 
hundred  thousand  acres  more  of  public  lands.  They  have  also  sur- 
veyed George's  Island. 

For  the  past  ten  days  I  have  had  a  party  at  work  on  a  large  rancho 
about  four  miles  from  town,  which  extends  six  and  seven  leagues  on 
the  coast.  This  survey  enables  us  to  stretch  up  the  coast  and  take  in 
some  public  land  in  that  direction. 

June  11.  Specimens  of  minerals  and  dye-woods  are  constantly 
brought  me,  and  I  can  now,  on  my  own  knowledge,  declare  Sonora 
to  be  the  richest  in  natural  productions  of  the  states  of  Mexico  which 
I  have  seen,  and  those  nearly  all. 

July  11.  I  have  ready  two  more  detail  maps,  embracing  about 
400,000  acres,  and  there  will  be  a  third  nearly  ready  containing 
375,000  more. 

*  It  is  stated  that  Mr.  Jecker  has  been  recognized  as  a  French  citi- 
zen, and  will  receive  the  protection  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  in  assert- 
ing his  rights  in  Mexico. 


So7iorafrom  1859  ^o  18G4.  101 

July  31.  You  may  be  confident  that,  once  settled,  the  lands  of  the 
Yaqui  Valley  will  exceed  those  of  Texas  in  her  best  parts.  Three 
crops  can  be  grown  there  each  year,  and  the  soil  is  inexhaustible.  Had 
I  half  a  million,  I  would  venture  it,  knowing  what  I  do,  on  this  enter- 
prise.    I  send  you  detail  maps  Nos.  2,  4,  and  5. 

Aug.  15.  I  send  you  detail  map  No.  8.  Before  this  letter  reaches 
you  I  shall  have  notes  for  mapping  the  whole  of  that  portion  of  the 
coast  south  of  Guaymas,  one  hundred  miles  of  coast  near  Tiburon, 
and  a  large  body  of  lands  adjoining  that  coast.  These  surveys  will 
embrace  many  hundred  square  miles  of  the  most  valuable  lands  in  the 
state,  and  nearly  all  public  lands. 

I  assure  you  that,  with  a  little  patience,  this  contract  must  turn  out 
many  millions.  If  I  am  not  crippled  for  the  want  of  funds,  I  shall 
have  the  entire  coast  for  a  depth  of  thirty  to  forty  miles ;  the  entire 
north  line  for  an  equal  depth ;  the  entire  southern  line,  and  a  part  of 
the  eastern,  accomplished  before  the  end  of  winter ;  but  if  funds  fail,  I 
shall  be  forced  to  abandon  the  grandest  and  richest  enterprise  which 
has  been  undertaken  in  this  country  by  private  individuals.* 

The  action  taken  by  the  governor  diminishes  our  labors  immensely, 
for  now  I  am  not  obliged  to  measure  separately  the  private  lands,  but 
work  as  best  I  can,  and  your  rights  under  the  contract  are  "  conserved, 
although  the  limits  may  remain  pendent  through  the  action  of  what- 
ever civil  or  military  authority  or  tribunal  of  justice." 

I  have  just  dispatched  a  new  set  of  maps,  furnished  for  the  use  of 
the  judge  who,  during  these  troublous  times,  is  to  hold  his  sittings  in 
Mazatlan,  and  on  the  approval,  the  titles  to  all  surveyed  will  be  issued 
immediately. 

You  will  thus  soon  find  yourself  the  owner  of  some  millions  of  acres 
not  taxable. 

Survey  of  Sonora,  Of55ce  of  Chief  of  Commission,! 
Guaymas,  Nov.  25, 185S.  j 

Col.  S.  W.  Inge,  Washington,  D.  C. : 
At  Mr.  Moss's  request,  I  have  had  constructed,  and  herewith  inclose 
to  you,  a  map,  showing  the  amount  of  work  done.  It  shows  all  that 
we  can  now  send  in,  but  not  near  all  that  we  have  partial  notes  of. 
Slight  reconnoissances  will  enable  us  to  use  a  great  number  of  notes 
which  we  have  on  hand,  but  which  require  connecting  explanations. 

I  beg  you  also  to  see  immediately  Doctor  Thomas  Antisell,  the  ge- 
ologist appointed  for  the  commission  ;  he  is  now  in  the  Patent  Office. 

*  The  foregoing  letter  was  written  before  Messrs.  Inge  and  Moss  ad- 
vanced the  money  named  in  their  contract  with  Mr.  Calhoun. 


102  Arizona  mid  Sonorci. 

Please  furnish  him  with  thi-ee  thousand  dollars — two  thousand  on  ac- 
count of  pay,  and  one  thousand  with  which  to  purchase  instruments, 
etc. — and  dispatch  him  hereby  the  Overland  Mail.  His  services  will 
be  ot  immense  value,  both  before  and  immediately  after  annexation. 

The  lands  surveyed  in  the  Yaqui,  Mayo,  and  Fuerte  River  valleys 
are  rich  beyond  estimate,  and  immense  bodies  of  them  are  public  land. 

Dr.  Antisell  will  be  invaluable  in  getting  possession  of  mines,  select- 
ing those  of  value,  and  rejecting  those  not  worth  the  trouble  and  ex- 
pense. You  have  the  foundation  of  one  hundred  great  companies  in 
your  contract — great  land  companies  and  great  mining  companies. 

Do  not  lose  one  moment  in  communicating  with  me  after  you  re- 
ceive this,  and  please  send  me  authority  to  draw  on  New  York  and  on 
San  Francisco,  for,  if  I  must  carry  out  the  entire  contract  under  the 
estimate,  I  must  have  funds  so  as  to  not  be  obliged  to  contract  the 
operations. 

You  can  not,  so  far  away,  conceive  even  the  value  you  have.  Do 
not  allow  the  matter  to  fall  through  by  delay,  which  will  be  as  bad  as 
abandonment. 

I  shall  write  you  by  every  possible  opportunity,  and  setid  maps  as 
fast  as  they  can  be  constructed.  I  have  a  beautiful  chart  of  this  port 
and  neighborhood,  but  can  not  get  it  copied  in  time  to  send  now. 

Captain  Davis  has  commissioned  Mr.  Whiting  (one  of  our  engineers) 
as  his  clerk,  and  made  him  bearer  of  dispatches  to  Fort  Buchanan, 
whence  they  will  be  forwarded  by  the  commandant. 
I  remain,  dear  sir,  yours  very  truly, 

Charles  P.  Stone,  Chief  of  Commission. 

The  development  of  the  mining  interest  of  Sonora  by 
American  capital  has  largely  increased  during  the  years 
1863  and  1864.  Many  new  mines  have  been  opened,  and 
the  prospects  of  nearly  all  are  good.  Among  the  most 
prominent  mines  opened  lately  are  Las  Cruzecitas,  Cor- 
ral Viejo,  and  El  Refugio,  the  latter  on  the  border  of 
Chihuahua.  Trade  vi^ith  San  Francisco  has  largely  in- 
creased, and  is  increasing. 


Mines  of  La  Cananea  and  Cieneguita^  iSonora.  103 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  MINES  OF  LA  CANANEA  AND  LA  CIENEGUITA,  SONORA.* 

La  Cananea:  Eai'ly  Working  of  the  Mines. — Don  Ygnacio  Perez. — 
The  Sierra  of  La  Cananea. — Condition  of  the  Mines  in  1860. — 
Their  Situation. — The  different  Mines. — The  Ores. — Chamunque. 
— ^Access  to  the  Mines. — Assays  of  Ores. — La  Cieneguita:  Situation 
of  the  Mines. — Early  Working. — Their  Abandonment. — Titles. — 
Location. — The  Mines. — The  Hacienda. — Fuel,  Water,  Building 
Materials,  Wages,  Provisions,  etc.  —  Resume.  — Assays  of  the  Ores 
of  La  Cieneguita. 

La  Cananea. — When  or  by  whom  the  mines  of  the 
Cananea  were  first  opened  is  lost  with  the  missing  min- 
ing records  of  the  State  of  Sonora.  Long  periods  of  rev- 
olution, which  checker  the  annals  of  that  unhappy  prov- 
ince, have  caused  the  dispersion  and  destruction  of  the 
archives,  and  have  even  extinguished  the  faint  and  flick- 
ering torch  of  tradition. 

Seventy  years  ago  or  more  they  were  worked  on  a 
large  scale,  and  with  great  energy,  by  the  house  of  Guea, 
of  Chihuahua,  but  when  that  house  went  down  in  the 
disturbances  which  marked  the  advent  of  the  century, 
the  mining  enterprise  was  abandoned,  and  remained  in 
abeyance  till  the  epoch  in  which  Don  Ygnacio  Perez  re- 
established their  exploitation.  On  the  death  of  the  elder 
Perez,  his  son,  the  second  Don  Ygnacio,  continued  the 
w^orks  but  a  short  period,  when,  either  from  pecuniary 
embarrassment  or  Indian  troubles,  he  stopped  all  opera- 
tions on  the  Cananea,  devoting  himself  exclusively  to  the 
care  of  his  numerous  and  extensive  haciendas. 

Subsequently  to  the  great  rising  of  the  Apaches  de 

*  Reports  of  Robert  L.  D'Aumaile,  Mining  Engineer  and  Assayer 
for  the  State  of  Sonora. 


104  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

Paz  in  1831,  Don  Ygnacio  Perez  recommenced  operations 
in  the  district  under  the  superintendence  of  his  brother 
Don  Francisco,  and  ultimately  under  that  of  John  P. 
Brodie,  who  erected  new  reduction  works,  and  continued 
in  charge  till  their  final  abandonment,  owing  to  the  fail- 
ure of  the  proprietor,  and  renewed  Indian  difficulties  in 
1837.  Don  Ygnacio  Perez  retired  to  Mexico,  where  he 
died  about  three  years  since  in  deep  poverty,  leaving  his 
affairs  in  inextricable  confusion.  His  widow,  a  daughter 
of  General  Urrea,  remains  in  Mexico ;  his  son,  Francisco, 
resides  in  Ures.  Two  surviving  brothers,  Felipe  and 
Francisco,  reside  in  Arizpe  andTJres  respectively.  None 
of  these  have  any  legitimate  claim  on  the  mines  of  La 
Cananea. 

The  Sierra  of  La  Cananea  is  situated  about  twelve 
leagues  southwest  of  the  presidio  of  Santa  Cruz ;  about 
eighteen  southeast  of  that  of  San  Pedro ;  probably  thirty- 
five  miles  southerly  from  Fort  Buchanan,  and  not  far 
from  the  American  line.  The  mines  (worked)  are  seven 
in  number,  of  which  the  principal  are  El  Ronquillo,  La 
Chivatera,  San  Rafael,  Santo  Domingo,  LaMina  de  Cobre 
Pobre,  and  La  Mina  de  Plomo  de  Arvallo.  Li  addition 
to  these  are  LaMariquilla  (of  white  copper).  El  Taj o  (the 
ancient  mine),  and  others ;  in  fact,  the  whole  region  is 
strongly  mineralized  and  of  most  prepossessing  exterior. 
The  Hacienda  de  Beneficio  of  Perez  &  Arvallo  is  on  El 
Ritto,  a  permanent  stream  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 
about  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  mines.  The 
greater  portion  of  the  road  is  excellent,  and  the  remain- 
der can  be  readily  made  so. 

The  Governor  of  Sonora*  being  strongly  impressed 
with  the  extent  and  value  of  the  mineral  deposits  of  the 

*  La  Cananea  is  the  property  of  Don  Ygnacio  Pesqueira,  present 
governor  of  Sonora.  It  is  said  a  large  capital  is  to  be  invested  in  this 
mine  by  foreigners. 


Mines  of  La  Cananea  and  Cieneguita^  Sonora.  105 

Cananea,  at  his  request  I  undertook  its  exploration,  and 
in  the  middle  of  March  of  the  present  year,  under  escort 
of  Don  Santiago  Garcia,  Prefect  of  Arizpe,  visited  the  lo- 
cality. We  found  the  old  hacienda  a  mass  of  ruins,  over- 
grown with  rank  vegetation,  but  the  new  one  erected  by 
Mr.  Brodie  in  such  a  state  of  disrepair  that  an  expendi- 
ture of  half  its  cost  would  probably  suffice  to  restore  it 
to  its  pristine  condition.  All 'the  machinery  had  been 
destroyed  by  the  natives  in  order  to  steal  the  metal- 
work,  and  most  of  the  roofs  had  fallen. 

The  situation  is  pleasant  —  on  the  borders  of  a  vast 
plain,  covered  with  wild  horses,  which  stretches  away  to 
the  San  Pedro ;  and  much  arable,  with  any  quantity  of 
grazing  land,  lies  immediately  around  the  site.  Half  a 
mile  or  so  up  the  valley  brings  us  to  the  mine  of  El  Ron- 
quillo,  called  also,  from  its  refractory  ores,  La  Maletiosa, 
with  its  ancient  hacienda.  This  mine  was  the  property 
of  Arvallo,  and  in  dispute  with  Perez,  who  never  worked 
it,  being  driven  off  by  the  Apaches.  Government  could 
not  supply  me  a  guide,  and  all  the  information  I  could 
obtain  on  this  and  the  other  mines  has  been  drawn  from 
various,  scattered,  and  irregular  sources,  and  should  not 
receive  entire  credence.  I  consulted  all  the  existing 
books  of  the  enterprise  in  Arizpe,  but  they  threw  no  light 
on  any  thing  except  the  most  obvious  of  all,  San  Rafael. 

El  Ronquillo  has  a  thickness  of  three  and  a  half  or  four 
feet  of  very  rich  ore,  worked  to  a  depth  of  eighty  feet. 
It  has  several  mouths,  is  full  of  water  to  the  brim — which 
water  conjes  from  copious  springs  in  the  lower  workings, 
and  a  ravine  which  passes  across  the  vein — and,  from  its 
situation  upon  the  gentle  slope  of  a  hill,  which  gradually 
merges  into  the  plain  beneath,  can  not  be  drained  by  a 
tunnel,  but  recourse  must  be  had  to  steam  machinery. 
No  ore  of  this  mine  was  found  in  the  debris  or  the  haci- 
enda; but  I  ordered  search  made  in  all  the  slag- heaps, 
E  2 


106  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

and  the  lead  extracted,  of  which  the  assay  is  annexed, 
shows  that  the  ore  was  extremely  rich. 

Passing  up  the  ravine,  we  crossed  in  the  path  more 
than  one  outcrop  of  copper  ore,  into  which  a  pick  had 
never  been  struck,  but  which,  on  assay,  yielded  a  fair  per- 
centage of  copper,  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  reached 
the  mine  of  La  Chivatera.  La  Chivatera  is  situated  on  a 
steep  declivity,  admirably  adapted  to  tunnel -drain  age, 
and  is  half  full  of  water.  It  bears  every  external  evi- 
dence of  being  a  powerful  vein,  but  I  am  assured  by  Mr. 
Brodie  that  it  is  really  an  irregular  deposit,  The  ores 
are  various,  of  copper,  silver,  and  lead,  those  of  copper 
prevailing.  The  teneros  are  full  of  good  ore,  and  at  their 
feet  flows  a  permanent  stream,  unfit  for  use  from  mineral 
impregnation,  but  well  placed  to  wash  the  rubbish.  In 
fact,  the  ore  thrown  away  in  the  teneros,  lying  in  the  hac- 
iendas, and  metal  wasted  in  the  slags,  would  form  a  re- 
spectable fortune  for  a  man  in  Europe. 

Three  hundred  yards  higher  up  lies  a  great  open  cellar, 
for  I  can  compare  it  to  nothing  else,  with  a  small  pile  of 
refuse  lying  at  one  side :  this  is  the  mine,  or  Tajo  of  San 
Rafael.  Judging  from  the  small  amount  of  earth  visible, 
and  the  statements  of  the  old  administrador,  it  is  nearly 
a  solid  -mass  of  ore.  You  have  ore  on  all  sides  in  the 
level,  so  that  it  is  impossible  to  tell  where  the  vein  is. 
This  ore  is  ductile  and  most  easily  reducible  —  it  flows 
like  water  m  the  furnace* '  The  supply  is  apparently  in- 
exhaustible. 

Farther  up  the  glen  is  the  Mina  de  Plomo  de  Arvallo, 
of  the  same  character  as  San  Rafael.  The  ores  of  these 
mines  appear  to  consist  principally  of  oxide  and  sulphate 
of  lead,  although  vast  masses  of  galena  are  found,  and  are 
so  soft  that  a  single  barretero  can  throw  down  many 
tons  a  day,  Avhile  the  cost  of  extraction  is  nothing.  The 
holes  appear  of  trivial  dimensions,  and   yet  tliey  have 


Mines  of  La  Caiianea  and  Cieneguita^  Sonora,  107 

been  worked  from  time  immemorial,  and  the  litharge,  or 
jugas,  from  San  Rafael  have  supplied  all  Northern  So- 
nora with  that  necessary  article,  and  they  have  ever  form- 
ed an  article  of  export  to  Jesus  Maria  and  other  great 
mining  towns  of  Central  Chihuahua. 

Continuing  our  course  and  passing  some  false  veins, 
we  reach  the  mine  of  Cobre  Pobre.  The  ore  of  this 
mine  is  boundless  in  extent,  but  of  inferior  quality,  and  I 
paid  it  but  little  attention.  Near  this  point  is  the  great 
vein  of  La  Mariquilla,  which  I  could  not  find  for  want 
of  data,  and  of  course  did  not  visit.  I  had  been  assured 
that  it  was  in  the  Sierra  of  la  Mariquilla,  four  leagues  to 
the  northward  (and  it  seems  there  is  some  mine  there), 
and  that  the  discoverer  was  dead  and  the  site  nearly 
forgotten.  This  mine,  from  its  great  alleged  dimensions 
and  the  richness  of  the  ores,  had  great  interest  for  me, 
especially  as  the  cause  of  its  abandonment  was  the  fact 
of  its  producing  white  copper.  I  had  hoped  that  it  might 
be  a  counterpart  of  the  "paktong"  of  China,  or  the  white 
copper  of  Hildburghausen,  the  prototype  of  German  sil- 
ver; but  the  accounts  were  so  obscure,  conflicting,  and 
contradictory  that  I  could  make  nothing  of  it. 

Felipe  Perez,  sent  by  his  father  when  a  boy  to  learn 
book-keeping  at  the  hacienda,  recollects  distinctly  being 
shown  it  once  by  his  father,  who  remarked,  incidentally, 
that  it  was  a  magnificent  vein,  but  useless,  as  it  yielded 
nothing  but  white  copper.  He  places  it  in  the  Sierra  of 
the  Mariquilla,  but  his  organ  of  locality  is  so  bad  that  he 
loses  himself  in  his  own  garden.  Francisco  Perez,  who 
received  $1000  a  month  from  his  brother  to  respohlar 
(literally  to  repopulate)  the  Real,  asserts,  on  the  contrary, 
that  there  never  was  any  mine  of  white  copper,  but  that 
this  designation  Avas  applied  to  the  grayish  alloy  of  cop- 
per, lead,  and  silver  extracted  from  the  "  arenillas"  of  La 
Chivatera.     Brodie,  in  turn,  confirms  Felipe's  statement, 


108  Arizona  and  /So7iora. 

professes  to  know  the  vein  well,  and  says  that  he  smelted 
into  one  pig  a  number  of  small  ingots  left  in  the  hacienda 
by  the  elder  Perez  and  dispatched  it  to  Hermosillo,  where 
it  was  examined  by  Gandara,  old  Monteverde,  and'  the 
other  experienced  miners,  who  pronounced  it  silver,  but 
professed  themselves  unable  to  purify  it.  A  similar  oc- 
currence fell  under  my  notice  in  Mulatos.  Brodie  de- 
scribes it  as  having  the  qualities  of  copper  when  smelted, 
cooling  brittle,  with  a  coarse  grain,  and  the  color  and 
other  properties  of  impure  silver. 

El  Tajo,  the  most  ancient  mine,  is  a  huge  rent  in  the 
earth  like  the  Panys  Mine  in  Anglesey,  but  the  ores 
changed  at  the  depth  of  thirty  feet,  suddenly,  into  py- 
rites. It  is  probable,  from  analogy,  that  these  pyrites  are 
argentiferous.  Immense  masses  of  a  black  rock  were 
abandoned  by  the  ancient  miners  in  the  walls  under  the 
supposition,  probably,  that  they  were  black  slate,  it  ap- 
pearing to  me  that  they  resembled  a  semi-stratified  sili- 
cate of  the  dinoxide  of  copper.  I  carried  away  a  frag- 
ment, whose  analysis  verified  my  conjecture.  Other 
mines  of  argentiferous  galena,  varying  from  twelve  to 
3200  ounces  per  ton,  are  alleged  to  exist  near  the  Ojo  de 
Agua  de  Arvallo ;  but,  having  seen  them,  and  entertain- 
ing very  little  hopes  of  seeing  the  latter,  I  forbear  dilat- 
ing on  their  alleged  extent  and  productiveness. 

Of  all  these  mines,  the  only  one  which  needs  steam 
power  for  its  drainage  is  El  Konquillo,  and  the  oaks 
(former  growth),  though  they  have  not  recuperated  per- 
fectly since  the  days  of  the  old  metal-seekers,  are  yet  so 
abundant  as  to  afford  an  ample  supply  of  fuel  for  that 
purpose  and  the  uses  of  the  reduction  works.  Besides 
the  oaks,  there  are  vast  and  most  accessible  forests  of 
chamunqiie^  a  species  of  pitch  f)ine  of  great  strength  and 
durability,  excellently  adapted  for  machinery  and  build- 
ing materials. 


Mines  of  La  Cananea  and  Gienegidta^  Sonora.  109 

To  convey  an  idea  of  the  strength  of  this  chamunque, 
I  may  mention  that  one  of  the  legs  of  my  portable  cot, 
made  of  the  best  quality  of  ash,  having  yielded  to  the 
strain  and  broken,  I  replaced  it  by  a  piece  of  chamunque 
from  the  ruins,  of  much  less  area,  and,  despite  twenty- 
three  years  of  exposure  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
the  substitute  answered  perfectly,  being  stronger,  in  fact, 
than  when  first  hewn. 

The  mines  are  accessible  by  a  good  wagon-road  via 
Santa  Cruz  from  Fort  Buchanan,  Tubac,  la  Piedra  Para- 
da,  and  Guaymas,  and  are  surrounded  by  the  great  (de- 
populated) haciendas  of  San  Bernardino,  El  Ojo  de  Agua 
de  Arvallo,  another  Ojo  de  Agua,  Cuitahasa,  el  Agua  Es- 
condida.  Las  Animas,  and  Bacanuche.  Another  road, 
called  a  wagon -road,  passes  by  Bacuachi,  Arizpe,  Ures, 
and  Hermosillo  to  Guaymas.  Its  position  is  romantic 
and  delightful ;  pasture  exists  green  in  Bacanuche  all  the 
year  round,  and  of  most  nutritious  quality.  Cultivable 
land  of  considerable  extent  is  found  in  the  same  hacien- 
da, which  is  the  natural  feeder  of  the  Real.  The  mines 
themselves  are  said  by  Felipe  Perez  to  be  on  public  land 
— a  narrow  strip  or  sohrante  between  three  ranchos.  All 
the  necessaries  of  a  great  establishment  —  building  mate- 
rial and  fluxes — abound  in  excess.  Building  stone,  gran- 
ite, fine  marble,  tepustete  arenillas,  jugos,  and  ayudas, 
are  plentiful,  and  during  my  search  for  the  lost  mines  of 
Las  Lamas  and  Espiritu  Santo  on  the  road  to  Bacanuche, 
I  found  a  vast  deposit  of  most  refractory  furnace  sand- 
stone, the  first  I  have  seen  in  Sonora. 

The  water  is  good  and  the  locality  healthful,  and  its 
proximity  to  the  American  military  stations  of -Fort  Bu- 
chanan and  Arrivaypa  would  render  feasible  a  project  of 
united  action  against  the  Apaches,  who  operate  at  a  dis- 
advantage in  the  wide  plain  that  stretches  away  to  San 
Guay cheque  and  the  San  Pedro. 


110  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

Assays  were  made  in  Arizpe  from  the  24th  to  the  29th 
of  March,  1860,  of  ores  from  the  Cananea  and  metal  from 
the  scoria  of  the  smelting  furnaces,  the  latter  to  determ- 
ine the  richness  of  the  ores  formerly  reduced,  and  to  dis- 
pel a  universal  vulgar  error  extant  in  Arizona  and  Sono- 
ra to  the  effect  that  the  copper  of  La  Cananea  and  Santa 
Rita  de  Cobre  contained  from  0.80  to  $1  00  of  gold  per 
Spanish  lb.    The  following  were  the  results . 

Assay  No.  785.  .500  grammes  lead  from  slags  of  San  Rafael. 

Silver — .092  per  cent.  =3  marcos,  5  oz.  7  adarmes  por  tonelada 
de  2000  lbs. 

Gold — traces. 
Assay  No.  78G.  .500  gms.  lead  from  slags  of  El  Ronquillo. 

Silver — 1  per  cent. =2  m.  por  quintal =40  m.  por  ton. 

Gold — 1  oz.  3  ad.  por  ton. 
Assay  No.  787.  2000  gms.  copper  from  slags  from  old  hacienda. 

Silver — .075  per  cent,  =24  oz.  por  ton. 

Gold — traces.     Not  determined. 
Assay  No.  788.  2000  gms.  copper  from  new  hacienda. 

Silver — .11  per  cent.=41  oz.  12  ad.  por  ton. 

Gold — too  insignificant  to  determine. 

Adulterants — lead,  carbon,  iron,  sulphur. 
Assay  No.  789.  Ores  of  Baranuclic. 
Assay  No.  791.  .205  gms.  pure  galena  (ayudas),  Ronquillo. 

Lead — 83  per  cent. 

Silver — 1  per  cent. =32  oz.  por  ton. 

Co/J— slight  traces. 
Assay  No.  792.  .100  gms.  (false  ore)  metal  de  todo  brosa,  Ronquillo. 

Silver — 1.25  per  cent.  =40  oz. 

Gold — large  quantity. 
Assay  No.  794.  .100  gms.  copper  ore,  La  Chivatcra.  % 

Silver — .037  per  cent.  =  12  oz.  por  ton. 
Assay  No.  795.  .100  gms.  same  ore. 

Copper — 32.5  per  cent. 

Lead — 20  per  cent,  (by  calculation). 
Assay  No.  796.  .100  gms.  copper  ore  from  untouched  outcrop. 

Silver — none  found. 

Cojiper — 32  per  cent. 
Assay  No.  797.  .100  gms.  yellow  ore  of  La  Plomosa. 

Silver — .165  per  cent.  =52^  oz.  por  ton. 

Gold — traces. 

Zeaf/— estimated  in  60  per  cent.     Very  fusible  and  docile. 
Assay  No.  798.  .100  gms.  metal  negro  de  San  Rafael. 

Silver — .20  per  cent. =64  oz.  por  ton. 

Gold — good  ley. 

L^ead — not  determined,  but  muy  reseco. 
Assay  No.  799.  .100  gms.  ore  of  La  Escalera. 


Minxes  of  La  Cancmea  and  Cieneguita^  Sonora.  Ill 

Silver — .08  per  cent.  =25  oz.  10  ad.  por  ton. 
Gold — good  percentage. 
Assay  No.  800.  .100  gms.  dinoxide  copper  ore  of  Cumpas. 
Copper — 80  per  cent. 
Silver — none. 

Robert  L.  D'Aumaile, 
Ensayador  Qficial  del  Estado  de  Sonora. 
Arizpe,  29  de  Mayo  de  1860, 

La  CiENEGUiTA. — Having  concluded  the  explorations 
which  I  was  commissioned  to  make  in  relation  to  the 
mines  and  Real  of  the  Cieneguita,  I  hereby  embody,  as 
succinctly  as  possible,  a  general  resume  of  the  results  of 
my  labors. 

The  Real  of  the  Cieneguita  embraces  in  itself  and  its  de- 
pendencies the  mines  known  as  La  Chipiona,  La  Colorada, 
La  Cagona,  La  Prieta,  and  the  vein  *of  copper  in  Matara- 
chi,  La  Descomulgada  and  Los  Tajos,  La  Viruela  and  El 
Realito,  San  Rafael,  Ostimuris,  Yerba  Buena,  and  El  Po- 
trero.  All  these  mines,  with  the  exception  of  El  Potrero, 
which  is  at  some  leagues  distance,  are  found  within  a  ra- 
dius of  three  miles  from  the  central  point,  and  the  great 
Veta  Madre,  or  principal  vein,  appears  to  be  that  of  La 
Chipiona. 

The  origin  of  the  Real  is  shrouded  in  the  mists  of  an- 
tiquity. Tradition  even  fails  to  indicate  the  period  wlien, 
or  the  person  by  whom  the  mines  were  originally  worked  ; 
but  the  general  belief,  based  upon  ancient  maps  and  land- 
marks, identifies  it  with  the  long-lost  Real  of  Tayapa,  fa- 
.  mous  in  the  early  Spanish  annals.  The  district  surround- 
ing it  constituted  the  mining  province  of  San  Yldefonso 
de  Ostimuris  ;  but  of  the  actual  state  of  the  mines  at  that 
period  the  sole  evidence  remaining  is  tradition,  and  the 
information  which  may  be  gleaned  from  an  inspection  of 
the  excavations  made  and  the  ruins  left  by  the  former 
possessors.  The  testimony  of  the  oldest  and  most  relia- 
ble inhabitants,  resident  near  the  spot  from  infancy,  is 
unanimous  to  the  fact  that  in  the  early  part  of  the  pres- 


112  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

ent  century  the  Real  remained  in  the  same  condition,  un- 
der the  same  circmnstances  of  abandonment  and  decay, 
and  that  the  uniform  tradition  of  the  country  assigned  to 
them,  even  then,  a  high  and  unknown  antiquity. 

Subsequently  they  were  repopulated  by  Rafael  Yalen- 
zuela,  who  worked  two  of  them  with  great  success,  and 
were  again  abandoned  on  the  general  uprising  of  the 
Opatas. 

The  only  modern  veins  opened  were  those  of  San  Jose 
del  Pinar,  now  exhausted,  and  Yerba  Buena,  whose  mouths 
are  closed  by  the  falling  in  of  the  pit  framing. 

The  abundance  of  ores  of  the  Chipiona,  Colorada,  etc., 
was  generally  known  and  recognized,  as  also  their  rich- 
ness ;  but,  owing  to  their  belonging  to  the  class  termed 
in  the  technology  of  the  country  rebelde  (^.  e.,  refractory 
or  hard  ores,  sulphurets,  etc.),  the  native  miners  have  been 
unable  to  extract  the  silver. 

Titles. — The  mines,  except  those  of  El  Potrero,  LaPri- 
eta,  and  the  copper  vein  in  Matarachi,  are  on  the  rancho 
of  La  Yglesia,  a  fine  grazing  estate  of  eighteen  square 
miles  in  extent,  belonging  to  and  in  the  occupancy  of  Don 
Jose  Yreneo  Monge.  The  title  is  said  to  be  perfect  and 
undisputed — a  Spanish  grant  of  Carlos  III.  It  is  wooded 
and  watered,  and  contains  sufficient  arable  land. 

The  rancho  of  Matarachi,  which  bounds  it  on  the  west- 
ward, is  a  beautiful  pine  forest,  with  some  excellent  culti- 
vable land,  contains  nine  square  miles,  well  watered,  and 
is  likewise  a  Spanish  grant  of  the  last  century.  It  con- 
tains the  vein  of  La  Prieta  and  the  outcrop  of  copper. 

The  title  to  these  deposits  is  a  "  denouncement,"  as  dis- 
coverer, of  four  pertenencias — twenty-four  Mexican  feet 
in  length,  with  an  appropriate  width,  depending  on  the 
inclination  of  the  vein.  The  mines  of  Los  Tajos,  LaDes- 
comulgada,  and  El  Realito,  each  four  pertenencias  as  res- 
pohlador  (i.  e.,  repopulator).      El  Potrero  and  La  Yiru- 


Mines  of  La  Gananea  and  Cieneguita^  Sonora,  113 

ela,  one  each.  La  Chipiona  and  La  Colorada,  possession 
given  by  the  Prefect  of  Sahuaripa  on  the  13th  of  Septem- 
ber— 1800  feet  in  length,  with  600  on  La  Plomosa,  and 
1350  in  width,  including  all  the  present  workings  in  the 
three  mines.  The  sites  called  El  Potrero,  La  Amargosa, 
La  Cieneguita,  and  Yerba  Buena,  denounced  as  "  hacien- 
das de  beneficio" — positions  for  reduction  works. 

Location. — The  Real  of  the  Cieneguita  is  situated  in  a 
pretty  little  dell,  embosomed  among  lofty  wooded  mount- 
ains, almost  at  the  foot  of  the  Sierra  de  San  Ygnacio,  and 
partly  embraced  by  the  unbroken  ranges  of  the  great 
Sierra  Madre.  Owing  to  the  impossiblity  of  procuring 
the  requisite  instruments,  I  was  unable  to  determine  tlie 
latitude  and  longitude.  It  is  distant,  by  the  road,  four- 
teen leagues  southeast  of  Sahuaripa,  three  leagues  south- 
east of  Tarachi,  and  four  leagues  west  of  Mulatos,  little 
more  than  half  that  amount.  The  Real  contains  perhaps 
twenty  acres  of  cultivable  ground,  admirably  adapted  for 
gardens,  and  is  supplied  by  springs  and  a  never-failing 
brook  of  excellent  water  which  traverses  its  centre. 

The  climate  is  mild,  delightful,  and  probably  whole- 
some ;  but  in  winter  the  snow  is  said  to  fall  occasionally 
two  feet  in  depth,  and  ice  to  form  in  the  creek  as  many 
inches  in  thickness.  The  stalwart  frames  and  robust 
health  of  the  octogenarian  proprietor  of  La  Yglesia  and 
his  lady  might  be  envied  by  many  a  tobacco-chewing 
American  of  thirty-five.  The  road  which  leads  to  the  Ci- 
eneguita and  Mulatos  from  Sahuaripa  is  mountainous  in 
the  extreme — from  Aribechi  to  the  Real,  a  distance  often 
leagues,  it  is  nearly  all  mountain,  except  the  plain  of  Los 
Cazadores  in  the  rancho  of  Agua  Blanca  and  the  valley 
of  the  Rio  de  Ostimuris,  upon  which  the  road  runs  from 
San  Francisco  to  Tarachi.  A  considerable  portion  of  the 
Real  is  covered  by  foundations  of  houses  and  ruins  of 
smelting- works,  or  immense  piles  of  scoria  and  rubbish, 


114  Arizona  and  Bonora. 

proving  incontestably  to  the  practiced  eye  the  vast  extent 
of  the  mining  operations  formerly  carried  on  in  the  Real.* 

The  Mines. — Leaving  the  Real,  the  road  runs  up  the 
brook  northwest,  and  about  three  hundred  yards  distant 
from  the  hacienda  is  a  working  of  trifling  depth  in  the 
bank  of  the  stream,  now  filled  with  earth,  called  La 
Cargona.  All  that  is  known  of  it  is  that  the  metal  is 
said  to  be  plombiferous,  the  vein  (metallic  portion)  one 
foot  in  width,  and  the  ore  to  pay  sixteen  ounces  to  the 
hundred  weight.  Mr.  Ortiz  has  never  examined  it,  on 
account  of  the  influx  of  water  from  the  rivulet  adjoining. 

Two  miles  distant,  in  the  same  direction,  lies  the  hill 
which  contains  the  veins  of  La  Chipioua,  La  Colorada,  La 
Plomosa,  and  another,  fallen  in,  whose  very  name  has  per- 
ished. The  veins  have  been  opened  in  many  parts  by  the 
Spaniards,  who,  according  to  their  almost  invariable  cus- 
tom, contented  themselves  with  sinking  shafts  for  the  ex- 
traction of  the  superior  decomposed  ores,  abandoning  the 
mine  on  reaching  the  sulphurets,  from  ignorance  of  the 
process  for  the  extraction  of  the  silver.  In  these  sulphu- 
rets, and  below  the  old  galleries,  are  situated  the  present 
workings. 

La  Colorada^  on  the  north  side  of  the  spur,  is  a  por- 
tion of  the  Veta  Madre  (or  main  vein),  and  the  workings 
are  firm  and  perfectly  dry.  The  part  explored  by  Mr. 
Ortiz  is  about  fifty  feet  in  length  and  forty-five  feet  in 
depth.  This  is  exclusive  of  another  twenty-feet  shaft 
eighty  feet  farther  down  the  mountain,  where  the  ores 
are  uncovered  to  the  same  width,  and  are  said  to  be  iden- 
tical in  quality,  but  which,  from  oversight,  I  neglected  to 

*  The  vast  extent  of  the  ancient  works  in  tlie  mines  of  Northern 
Mexico  and  Arizona,  taken  Avitli  the  fact  of  the  nndoubted  richness  and 
abundance  of  ores  at  present,  give  a  guarantee  of  permanency  for  these 
mines  which  those  of  California  and  Nevada  Territory  can  not  yet  claim. 
This  is  a  material  point,  well  worthy  the  careful  attention  of  capitalists 
seeking  mining  investments. — S.  M. 


Mines  of  La  Cananea  and  Gieneguita^  Sonora.  115 

examine.  The  vein  in  the  lower  planes  (levels)  is  about  • 
eighteen  inches  wide,  in  parts  thirty,  running  north-north- 
west and  south-southeast,  with  an  inclination  to  the  south- 
east of  about  15° — an  excellent  course  and  dip  in  Mexican 
mines.  The  ore  from  this,  as  Avell  as  all  other  accessible 
mines,  was  blasted  from  the  seams  in  my  presence  and 
under  my  direction,  and  the  assays  are  made  of  the  gen- 
eral average  of  the  ores  in  the  vein,  without  much  care  be- 
ing taken  in  removing  the  adhering  vein-stone.  The  as- 
say of  this  portion  is  marked  in  the  table  of  assays  690. 

La  Chipio7ia  is  also  upon  the  Veta  Madre,  the  vein  hav- 
ing the  same  direction  and  dip  as  in  La  Colorada.  The 
shafts  are  two  in  number,  some  thirty  feet  asunder,  and 
about  the  same  number  of  feet  in  depth.  They  are  now 
partly  full  of  water  from  the  heavy  rains  and  suspension 
of  labor,  the  miners  being  engaged  at  present  in  their 
planting-grounds.  The  vein  has  a  width,  in  the  lowest 
accessible  part,  of  twenty  to  thirtj^-six  inches,  exclusive 
of  the  vein  walls,  and  is  said  to  carry  the  same  deptji  and 
quality  of  metal  down. 

The  ores  are  of  a  class  somewhat  difterent  from  and 
more  difficult  of  reduction  than  those  of  the  Colorada, 
being  "bronces  apetancados"  (bisulphurets  of  iron,  with  a 
compound  sulphuret  of  silver,  iron,  lead,  and  copper),  and 
are  said  to  give  in  the  German  process  160  ounces  per  ton 
of  2000  lbs.,  and  contain  alloy  of  gold.  The  ores  of  La 
Colorada  give,  by  the  same  process,  212  to  320  ounces 
per  ton,  according  to  Mr.  Ortiz.     Assays  marked  691-2-3. 

Not  half  the  superficial  excavations  of  the  ancient  min- 
ers upon  this  vein  have  been  cleaned  out,  and  the  falling 
in  of  their  lahores  can  be  traced  all  the  way  across  the 
crest  of  the  hill — say  250  yards — up  to  the  mouth  of  La 
Colorada.  Above  the  main  vein  is  a  cross  vein  of  four  to 
six  inches,  cutting  it  nearly  at  right  angles.  Its  ore  is 
said  to  yield  318  ounces  of  silver  per  ton.     The  assay  will 


116  Arizona  and  So7iora. 

be  found  marked  No.  693  ;  but  it  is  believed  that  this  ore 
was  somehow  confounded  in  the  transportation  with  that 
of  the  lower  shaft  of  the  main  vein  (No.  692). 

Nine  hundred  feet  distant,  in  a  straight  line,  in  a  spur 
of  the  same  Cerro,  is  the  adit  of  Xa  Plomosa.  The  upper 
workings,  being  badly  planned,  have  recently  fallen  in  from 
the  pressure  of  the  rubbish  in  old  drifts,  and  the  mmers 
have  driven  a  level  in  the  solid  rock  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  farther  down,  which  has  advanced  fifty  feet,  but  has 
not  yet  struck  the  ore.  They  are  argentiferous  galenas, 
with  a  matrix  of  stratitic  "  calishe,"  said  to  yield  eighteen 
per  cent,  of  lead,  and  ninety-six  ounces  of  silver  per  ton. 
I  assayed  one  of  the  isolated  masses  taken  at  random  from 
the  excavations  of  the  drift,  which  gave  a  higher  percent- 
age. The  assay  is  marked  694.  Both  this  vein  and  La 
Chipiona  run  across  the  valley  and  strike  the  opposite 
mountain.  The  yawning  mouths  of  the  old  mining 
shafts  are  visible  all  the  way  across  in  many  difierent 
j)oints. 

All  these  points  are  dry,  except  from  the  infiltration  of 
surface  water  from  the  workings  and  rain  flowing  into 
the  uncovered  shafts,  and  even  if  worked  to  a  great  depth 
are  capable  of  being  drained  with  comparative  ea^  by 
means  of  a  tunnel,  as  the  Chipiona  debouches  upon  an  ab- 
rupt descent  of  many  hundred  feet.  The  walls  are  firm, 
the  vein  regular,  and  presenting  every  indication  of  per- 
manence. There  is  more  ore  stripped  and  in  view  in  La 
Colorada  and  La  Chipiona  than  that  lying  in  the  patios. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  southwest  of  the  Yerba  Buena  are 
the  mines  of  Los  Tajos.  The  hill-side  is  covered  with 
the  buried  workings  of  the  ancients,  and  the  superior 
portion  of  the  vein  is  in  a  very  precarious  condition. 
Mr.  Ortiz  has  driven  a  tunnel  in  below,  to  avoid  the  cost 
and  trouble  of  removing  the  rubbish.  Having  mislaid 
my  notes  on  the  vein,  I  am  unable  to  speak  with  precis- 


Mines  of  La  Cananea  and  Cieneguita^  Sonora.  117 

ion,  but  it  is  something  like  half  a  yard  in  width,  with  a 
very  heterogeneous  medley  of  ores. 

It  runs  completely  through  the  mountain,  as  very  con- 
siderable works  are  visible  on  the  opposite  side,  but 
whether  "en  metales"  or  not  is  not  known.  The  ores 
are  contracted  to  be  delivered,  clean,  in  the  patios  at  $4 
per  300  lbs.,  and  are  said  to  yield  sixty  ounces  of  silver 
per  ton ;  but  they  are  loaded  with  titaniferous  and  zinc- 
iferous minerals.  Assay  of  such  ores  as  were  accessible 
marked  695. 

Zta  Descomulgada  is  situated  about  a  league  west- 
northwest  of  the  Yerba  Buena.  Its  matrix  is  a  very 
hard  silicious  rock,  which  crumbles  with  great  rapidity 
under  the  combined  influence  of  air  and  moisture.  The 
recent  rains  had  filtered  through  the  old  workings  into 
the  drift  made  by  Mr.  Ortiz,  and  brought  down  a  portion 
of  the  ceiling,  so  that  access  was  impossible,  and  I  can 
give  no  description  of  it.  The  vein  is  said  to  be  wide, 
and  the  superficial  ores  so  easily  worked  that  contracts 
were  made  to  deliver  it,  dressed,  in  the  mine  mouth,  at 
$1  per  300  lbs.  It  is  said  to  give  130  ounces  to  the  ton, 
and  to  be  of  easy  reduction. 

La  Yerba  Buena  is  a  modern  mine — said  to  have  been 
very  rich  —  whose  mouths  have  fallen  in,  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  Yerba  Buena,  on  the  road  to  the  Desco- 
mulgada.    Nothing  more  is  known  concerning  it. 

Los  Ostimuris^  on  the  road  to  Yerba  Buena,  about  half 
way  from  the  Cieneguita,  has  two  open  mouths,  and  is 
full  of  water,  the  drifts  running  under  the  brook.  Mr. 
Monge  says  it  was  abandoned,  with  abundant  ores,  on 
the  outbreak  of  the  Opatas,  and,  as  the  shafts  were  shal- 
low, the  vein  wide,  and  the  ores  yielding  four  hundred 
and  fifty  ounces  per  ton,  he  entered  into  a  contract  with 
a  skillful  miner,  and  put  up  wims  and  machinery  for 
drainage.     His  partner  died  just  as  they  were  approach- 


118  Arizojia  and  Sonora. 

ing  completion,  the  Apaches  drove  off  the  animals,  and, 
being  entirely  ignorant  of  mining,  he  abandoned  the  en- 
terprise. 

La  FHeta^  on  the  rancho  of  Matarachi,  about  two 
leagues  east  of  the  Cieneguita,  has  a  width  of  from  four 
to  six  feet  —  the  opening  is  merely  a  trial-pit,  which  the 
rains  had  filled  with  earth  and  stones,  so  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  give  any  opinion  concerning  it.  The  ores  of  the 
outcrop  are  a  melange  of  different  sulphurets,  heavily 
charged  with  copper.  It  is  2:>robable  that  a  much  short- 
er, better,  and  less  circuitous  route  than  that  which  leads 
past  the  Real  of  the  Cieneguita  can  be  cut  through  the 
w^oods  direct  to  Buena  Yista.  Assay  of  ore  (which  can 
not  be  regarded  as  a  fair  sample)  marked  No.  696.  They 
are  said  to  yield  sixty  ounces  to  the  ton.  The  copper 
vein,  also  a  trial  hole,  is  situated  on  the  crest  of  the  hill 
directly  above. 

El  Potrero^  eight  leagues  distant,  I  did  not  visit.  It 
is  said  to  be  an  immense  "  clavo,"  of  volcanic  origin,  and 
unknown  extent,  at  the  intersection ^of  two  veins.  The 
ore  is  without  alloy  of  s^vcr ;  but,  containing  mucli  oxide 
of  lead  and  spar,  it  forms  an  excellent  flux  for  the  ores 
of  La  Prieta  and  Los  Tajos.  The  cost  of  carriage  i#the 
only  expense. 

La  Yiruela,  east  half  a  mile  from  the  site  of  La  Amar- 
gosa,  is  a  lofty  hill,  from  which  large  quantities  of  gold 
have  been  extracted ;  but  the  whole  hill  (summit)  has 
fallen  in,  and  all  attempts  to  estabhsh  w^orkings  to  reach 
the  ores  beneath,  without  removing  the  superincumbent 
debris,  have  resulted  in  failure. 

La  Amargosa,  and  the  rivulet  which  runs  beneath  EI 
Realito,  are  constantly  washed  for  gold.  The  gambus- 
sinos  told  me  that  they  realized  about  six  reals  per  diem. 

Hacienda  de  Beneficio. — The  existing  hacienda  con- 
sists of  two  small  patios  and  lavadcro  of  masonry  (part 


Mines  of  La-  Gananea  and  Cienegidta^  Sonera.  119 

of  the  ancient  works),  three  tahonas  or  arrastras,  two 
vasos  de  fundicion,  one  melting  furnace  and  one  reverber- 
atory,  with  the  requisite  sheds,  three  barrels  mounted  on 
the  German  plan,  a  worthless  battery  of  three  stamps  (a 
la  Mejicana),  and  the  proprietor's  residence.  These  are 
situated  in  a  group  in  the  centre  of  the  valley.  There 
are  other  buildings  and  inclosures  not  connected  with 
the  hacienda. 

The  water  of  the  creek  is  not  sufficiently  abundant  for 
machinery,  and  an  examination  was  made  of  La  Amar- 
gosa,  one  fourth  of  a  mile  east,  which,  by  a  moderate  ex- 
penditure in  ditch  and  tunnel,  might  be  diverted  from  its 
course  and  brought  through  the  Real.  This  stream  is 
permanent,  and  furnishes  a  considerable  volume  of  water, 
with  a  natural  fall  of  100  feet,  within  a  space  of  100 
yards,  in  its  own  valley.  As  my  measuring  instruments 
were  lost  in  crossing  the  Rio  Grande,  these  estimates 
must  be  considered  in  the  light  of  guesses,  though  I  am 
convinced  that  they  are  close  approximations  to  the  truth. 
The  connection  of  these  two  streams  has  been  advocated 
by  a  German-  engineer,  but,  in  my  opinion,  on  very  unten- 
able grounds ;  as,  in  addition  to  the  expense,  all  the  ad- 
vantages which  this  sudden  fall  presents  for  the  erection 
of  a  reaction  water-wheel  would,  from  the  conformation 
of  the  ground,  be  almost  entirely  lost. 

In  JLa  Amargosa  are  the  ruins  of  a  dam,  race,  and  res- 
ervoir of  masonry,  two  tahonas  de  agua,  houses,  etc.,  a 
standing  memorial  of  miscalculation  and  bad  engineer- 
ing. Around  the  base  of  the  hill  which  contains  the 
Chipiona,  and  not  over  400  yards  distant,  flows  a  stream 
capable  of  giving  motion  to  two  large  wheels,  but  which 
is  said  to  afford  water  in  times  of  drought  only  four 
months  in  the  year.  I  consequently  paid  no  more  atten- 
tion to  it. 

The  next  point  examined  was  Yerha  Buena^  from  two 


120  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

to  three  and  a  half  miles  southeast  from  the  Real,  four  to 
four  and  a  half  from  La  Chipiona,  and  about  one  fourth 
from  Los  Tajos.  The  river  is  the  Arroyo  de  los  Ostimu- 
ros — water  permanent  ten  months,  and  sufficient  to  turn 
the  wheels  during  the  remainder  of  the  year.  An  excel- 
lent natural  foundation  for  a  dam,  of  solid  rock,  exists 
here  at  a  waterfall,  the  distance  between  the  abutments 
being  only  twenty-four  feet,  and  no  leakage  of  any  kind 
being  possible.  The  natural  abutments  are  about  twen- 
ty-five feet  high. 

Water  sufficient  for  saw-mill,  floui-ing-mill,  and  hacien- 
da de  beneficio  of  considerable  extent.  By  my  measure- 
ment, rudely  taken,  a  race  and  flume  of  1250  feet  would, 
with  a  six-foot  dam,  give  a  fall  of  full  sixty  feet — ample 
for  all  practical  purposes.  A  natural  tail-race,  which 
needs  but  little  deepening,  is  found  at  this  point. 

Situation  good  and  pleasant,  with  plenty  of  garden 
land,  building  stone,  arrastra  stone,  oaks,  pines,  some  ash 
and  juniper.  Here  are  the  remains  of  a  long  line  of 
sheds,  which  -were  once  the  smelting  works  of  Los  Tajos, 
those  of  La  Descomulgada  and  Yerba  Buena  being  far- 
ther down  the  creek.  This  location,  though  somewhat 
distant  from  the  principal  mines,  is  favorable  in  #very 
other  respect.  The  road  to  the  Cieneguita  is  rocky  and 
bad,  but  a  good  one  of  regular  descent,  in  soft  earth,  is 
said  to  exist  on  the  outer  side  of  the  ravine. 

Fael^  Water ^  Pasturage^  etc. — The  subject  of  water  has 
been  fully  discussed  under  the  head  of  Hacienda  d.e  Bene- 
ficio. Wood  is  abundant  to  excess.  The  mountains  and 
valleys  are  covered  with  a  plentiful,  often  heavy  growth 
of  oaks  (live  oak,  holm  oak,  and  other  species),  white  and 
pitch  pine,  etc.,  while  juniper  and  ash  are  found  in  the 
water-courses  in  quantities  sufficient  for  jDurposes  of  con- 
struction. 

Pasturage  of  excellent  quality  is  found  every  where, 


Mines  of  La  Gmmnea  and  Cieneguita,  Sonora.  121 

as  the  forests  are  free  fram  underwood  (from  the  fre- 
quent bush  fires),  and  animals  are  said  to  fatten  all  the 
year  round. 

I  may  add  that  Mr.  Ortiz  undertakes  to  procure  from 
the  proprietor  of  La  Yglesia  a  free  and  gratuitous  conces- 
sion in  perpetuity  of  the  right  to  take,  use,  and  enjoy  all 
the  wood,  pasturage,  and  water  power  which  may  be 
needed  for  mining  and  reduction  of  metals,  and  all  other 
purposes  incidentally  connected  therewith. 

Jjime,  Stone,  Clay,  and  Building  Materials.  —  Lime- 
stone is  found  in  various  parts ;  it  has  been  sought  for, 
and  is  not  known  to  be  abundant.  Stone  of  a  very  re- 
fractory character,  for  furnaces,  falls  in  the  same  category, 
as  it  is  not  lofiown  to  exist  nearer  than  Sahuaripa.  Clays 
abound,  those  of  a  talcose  nature  especially,  but  none  . 
known  to  be  fireproof.  Fire-clay  is  said  to  be  met  with 
near  Mulatos,  and  Don  Jose  Maria  Lopez,  who  is  certain- 
ly competent  to  judge,  assures  me  that  there  is  a  large 
bed  of  superior  quahty  building  stones,  and  timber  is  in- 
exhaustible. 

Labor,  Wages,  Provisions,  Carriage,  etc, — All  the  la- 
borers employed  in  the  mines  unite  the  profession  of 
ranchero  or  farmer  with  that  of  miner ;  but  I  am  assured 
by  competent  authority  that  any  amount  of  skilled  l|i>or, 
if  required,  can  be  drawn,  without  the  slightest  difficulty, 
•from  Mulatos,  Jesus  Maria,  La  Trinidad,  Tarachi,  and 
Valle. 

The  wages  are,  for  tentateros,*  barreteros,  arrieros, 
peons,  etc.  (miners  and  general  mining  laborers),  four 
reals  per  diem;  azogueros,  afinadores  (not  required  in 
the  German  process),  $1. 

*  Tentateros,  those  who  pack  out  the  ore,  In  sacks  made  of  hide,  on 
their  backs.  Barreteros,  those  who  use  the  bar  in  the  mines.  Azogue- 
ros, the  amalgamators  in  the  patio  process.  Afinadores,  refiners  by  the 
cupel  or  "vaso." — Four  reals  is  fifty  cents. — Faneya,  175  lbs. — Ley, 
the  amount  of  precious  metal  in  ores. 


122  Arizona  and  ISonora. 

"Wood,  at  present  (but  can  be  ^supplied  much  cheaper), 
one  real  the  carga  of  eighty  billets ;  charcoal,  two  reals 
the  hundred  weight.  Salt,  $8  to  $10  the  carga  of  300 
lbs. ;  maize  and  wheat  (selling  price),  |6  the  fanega. 
Wheat  and  Indian  corn  can  be  purchased  in  the  Tierra 
Fria  at  four  reals  the  fanega  (of  Vizcaia),  and  contracts 
can  be  made  for  its  delivery  at  the  Keal  (in  quantity)  at 
an  advance  of  about  500  per  cent,  on  cost  price,  say 
|3  50  to  $3  75  per  fanega  (of  Sonora). 

Freight  from  Guaymas,  $80  to  $90  per  ton ;  from  Sa- 
huaripa,  $3  per  carga  (300  lbs.) ;  cattle,  $10  to  $15;  hides, 
$1  each;  mules  and  horses,  dear;  powder  of  the  country, 
$7  per  arroba  (of  25  lbs.) ;  tallow,  $7  per  arroba. 

Resume. — In  recapitulation  of  what  I  have  said  before, 
my  opinion  is  that  the  mines,  alluding  particularly  to  the 
Yeta  Madra  of  La  Chipiona,  are  of  excellent  quality,  the 
ores  of  good  ley  and  abundant,  and  of  facile  extraction. 
I  have  found,  in  conversation  with  old  and  experienced 
mine-masters  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  that  the 
richness  of  the  silver  of  the  "bronces,"  "prietos  6  que- 
mazones,"  and  "metales  espejuelosas" — pyrites,  blendes, 
and  mixed  sulphurets  of  Cieneguita — has  been  generally 
known  to  those  conversant  with  mining  affairs,  b#t  that 
thoii  known  "  rebeldia,"  the  impossibility  of  extracting 
the  precious  metals  by  the  antiquated  and  inefficient  pro- 
cesses of  the  country,  has  rendered  their  reduction  a  hope* 
less  task.  This  difficulty  is  completely  obviated  by  the 
use  of  the  German  process  of  chlorinization  with  sal  ma- 
rina and  subsequent  amalgamation — a  process  for  which 
they  are  peculiarly  adapted.  It  is  to  be  observed  that 
two  items  of  expense  in  most  of  the  mining  districts 
of  the  republic — jugos  and  magistral  ("fluxes") — are 
not  incurred  here,  the  ores  yielding  a  surplus  of  these  es- 
sentials for  sale  in  less  favored  quarters.  The  mines  are 
in  the  solid  rock,  with  firm  walls,  without  slips  or  out- 


Mines  of  La  Cananea  and  Gieneguita^  Sonora.  123 

throws,  and  all  expense  of  timbering  galleries  and  shafts 
will  be  spared  the  mine-owners ;  but  the  ores  are  hard, 
and  require  blasts  for  their  extraction. 

I  would  recommend  sinking  two  shafts  of  one  hundred 
varas  in  the  workings  of  La  Colorada  and  La  Chipiona 
(should  the  ores,  which  is  probable,  extend  so  far),  to 
thoroughly  test  the  vein,  running  a  drift  from  the  pit  bot- 
toms to  connect,  and  then  working  the  vein  from  below 
upward,  before  the  expense  of  creating  a  very  large  hac- 
ienda be  incurred. 

Labor,  ^cept  of  skilled  artisans,  is  abundant  and  cheap 
in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Wood  and  water  power  for 
every  needful  purpose  abound,  but  the  distance  of  the 
most  eligible  site  of  the  latter  can  not  be  less  than  four 
miles  from  the  Chipiona. 

Pasture  and  tillage-ground  is  afforded  to  any  required 
extent  by  the  ranchos  of  La  Yglesia  and  Matarachi.  In 
fine,  if  the  ores  continue,  as  they  give  every  promise  of 
doing,  the  amount  of  silver  extracted  will  depend  entire- 
ly upon  the  extent  of  the  operations,  and  the  energy,  skill, 
and  economy  of  the  management.* 

*  Since  the  visit  of  Mr.  D'Aumaile  we  have  received  samples  of 
ores  of  the  "Descomulgada,"  which  the  proprietors  have  lately  been 
working :  the  vein  is  wide,  the  ores  easily  extracted,  and  the  ley  flat- 
tering. The  "  Ostimuros"  mine  is  at  present  full  of  water,  but  can  be 
cleared  at  a  small  expense ;  the  reports  of  its  richness  are  very  flatter- 
ing. From  what  I  have  learned  from  Mr.  D'Aumaile,  the  proprietors, 
and  others,  the  sites  for  forming  "haciendas  de  beneficio"  are  numer- 
ous, and  the  water  power  which  can  be  brought  into  action  will  move 
more  machinery,  applied  judiciously,  than  will  be  needed  for  working 
the  mines.  Timber  for  the  erection  of  the  works  is  abundant,  as  also 
copper  ore,  which  metal  can  be  used  with  greater  economy  than  im- 
ported iron  for  castings  that  may  be  required.  At  a  comparatively 
small  expense,  excellent  roads  can  be  formed  from  each  of  the  mines 
to  the  hacienda,  as  well  as  to  the  adjoining  towns.  As  stated  at  the 
commencement  of  this,  these  mines  can  only  be  worked  with  success 
upon  a  large  scale,  for  many  reasons — at  least  $200,000  is  retjuired. 


124       '  Arizona  and  Bonora. 

Assays  of  Ores  of  the  Cknegiiita,  Sejyteniher  and  October^  1859. 
No.  690.  La  Colorada,  172  oz.  silver  per  ton  of  2000  lbs. 
Goldy  trace. 

691.  La  Chipiona       (upper  shaft),  224  oz.  silver  per  ton. 

692.  *'        "■  (lower  shaft),  318  "        "         " 

693.  "        "  (cross  vein),  190  "        "         *' 

694.  La  Plomosa  (from  new  adit),  108  '«        "         " 

696.  LaPrieta  30  "        ''         " 
721.    "      "             (bell-metal  ore),  21.54  per  cent,  copper. 

697.  La  Chipiona  (bronces),  160  oz.  per  ton. 


Assays  of  ores  brought  by  Sr.  Ortiz — Nos.  835-842  : 
Assay  No.  835.  Ore  rejected  in  the  "terreros"  as  worthless,  Bronces 
ochavados. 
Silver — 3  per  cent.  =12  marcos=96  oz.  per  Spanish  ton  of 

2000  lbs. 
Gold — much  stronger  standard  than  in  836. 
Assay  No.  836.  Average  of  ore  now  taken  from  La  Colorada. 
Silver — 5  per  cent.  =20  marcos  (160  oz.)  per  ton. 
Gold— as  in  841. 
Assay  No.  837.  Ore  of  superior  quality  (Petanques  hechos),  La  Colo- 
rada. 
Silver — 65  per  cent.  =26  mar.  (208  oz.)  per  ton. 
^  Oold — heavy  ley  not  determined. 

Assay  No.  838.  Decomposed  superficial  ore.  La  Descomulga^. 
Lead — 20.4  per  cent. =408  lbs.  per  ton. 
Silver — .3686  per  cent.  =  14  m.  6  oz.  1 J  adarmes  (118  1-11  oz.) 

per  ton. 
Gold — .335  oz.,  or  i  oz.  in  each  marco  of  silver. 
Assay  No.  839.  Ore  of  El  Potrero — qualitative  analysis. 

Silver — very  small  ley ;  gold  not  sought ;  lead,  antimony,  cop- 
per. 
.  Assay  No.  841.  Assay  for  gold  of  plata  de  fuego.     La  Colorada. 

GoW— 1.5025  oz.  per  quintal =3  mar.  7  oz.  3  och.  (31|  oz.) 
per  ton. 
Assay  No.  842.  Assay  for  gold  of  plata  do  fuego.     La  Descomulgada. 
Gold— 2  oz.  15  gr.  per  quintal=5  mar.  5  och.  (40i  oz.)  per  ton. 
Robert  L.  D'Aumaile,  Assayer. 


The  Sierra  Madre  of  JSFew  Mexico.      •       125 


CHAPTER  YII. 

THE  SIERRA  MADRE  OF  NEW  MEXICO.* 

Mineral  "Wealth  of  Northern  Mexico. — The  Sierra  Madre. — Mining 
under  the  Spanish  Dominion. — Ancient  and  Modern  Mines. — Pres- 
ent Modes  of  Mining. — The  Miners. — Gambussinos. — Their  Mode 
of  Working. — Causes  of  the  Decay  in  Mining. — Habits  of  the  Min- 
ers.— Borascas  and  Bonanzas. — Expulsion  of  the  Spaniards. — With- 
drawal of  Military  Forces. — Ravages  of  the  Indians. — Lack  of  Ma- 
chinery.— Various  Causes  for  the  Abandonment  of  Mines. — Necessi- 
ty for  Foreign  Capital  and  Energy. — Inducements  for  its  Invest- 
ment.— Political  Relations  of  Sonora  and  Chihuahua.-^The  Apaches. 
— Special  Advantages  of  Chihuahua,  Sonora,  and  Sinaloa. — Value 
and  Distribution  of  the  Ores. — Means  of  acquiring  the  Right  to 
Mines. — Hints  to  Capitalists. 

The  object  of  this  present  chapter  is  to  give  a  short 
description  of  the  mineral  resources  of  Northern  Mexico, 
its  past  and  present  state  of  mining,  the  cause  of  its  de- 
cay, and  its  future  prospects.  If  it  prove  of  service  to 
those  Californians  who  take  an  interest  in  the  rafines  o^ 
that  part  of  the  world,  the  writer,  for  many  years  en- 
gaged in  mining  pursuits  there,  will  be  amj^ly  repaid  for 
his  trouble. 

Mexico  is  w^ell  known  as  a  rich  mineral  country,  hav- 
ing contributed  a  large  share  to  the  circulating  medium 
of  the  world's  commerce,  and,  so  far  from  its  mineral 
wealth  being  exhausted,  it  may  be  considered  as  almost 
virgin  yet.  The  matrix  «f  all  this  Avealth  is  to  be  found 
in  the  Mexican  Cordilleras  and  their  branches,  which  run 
more  or  less  parallel  with  the  Pacific  coast. 

*  For  this  and  the  following  chapter  I  am  indebted  to  A.  W.  C. 
Brawns,  Esq.,  an  English  gentleman  resident  in  Soiibra,  a  most  intel- 
ligent and  reliable  authority,  to  whom  I  return  my  thanks  for  these 
notes. — S.  M. 


12G  Arizona  and  So7iora. 

That  part  of  the  Cordilleras  which  is  of  more  imme- 
diate interest,  and  which  forms,  as  it  were,  the  natm-al 
boundary  between  the  states  of  Chihuahua  and  Durango 
on  the  west,  and  of  Sonora  and  Sinaloa  on  the  east,  is  call- 
ed the  Sierra  Madre^  or  "  Mother  Mountains,"  branches 
of  which  diverge  into  the  four  mentioned  states  in  all  di- 
rections, being,  however,  of  more  alpine  a  character  only 
in  those  s'tates  which  border  on  the  Pacific  Ocean.  These 
Mother  Mountains  and  their  principal  branches  are,  in- 
deed, most  prolific  in  all  the  precious  minerals;  so  much 
so,  that  it  may  be  safely  asserted  there  is  hardly  a  village 
district  or  grazing  estate  in  these  mountain  regions  but 
can  show  some  vein  of  gold,  silver,  lead,  or  copper,  while 
many  of  the  rivers  and  creeks  of  the  glens  and  valleys 
contain  placer  gold  in  more  or  less  abundance.  But  it 
must  not  be  inferred  from  this  that  all  these  veins  are  be- 
ing worked,  or  that  the  country  has  been  fully  explored, 
for  nothing  would  be  farther  from  the  truth ;  probably  not 
one  fourth  of  the  existing  metallic  wealth  is  known,  while 
but  a  moiety  of  it  has  been  or  is  being  developed. 

During  the  Spanish  reign  mining  was  far  more  extens- 
ively prosecuted  than  since  the  independence  of  Mexico, 
which  is  testified  by  numberless  old  abandonecf  mines, 
here  called  antiguas,  or  ancient,  and  by  the  diminished 
annual  production  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper.  Under  the 
Spanish  government,  which  did  its  utmost  to  foster  this 
important  branch  of  industry,  the  miners  had  many  priv- 
ileges and  great  advantages ;  they  had  peace  and  securi- 
ty ;  mineral  aviadores,  or  providers  of  goods  and  provis- 
ions, which  they  obtained  on  Credit ;  government  com- 
missaries, who  furnished  them  with  quicksilver  at  low 
rates ;  abundance  of  good  labor  at  merely  nominal  wages ; 
and  any  amount  of  cheap  cattle,  horses,  and  mules.  This 
enabled  them  to  successfully  work  with  a  small  capital 
many  mines,  which  under  the  present  circumstances  would 


The  Sierra  Madre  of  New  Mexico.  127 

prove  but  losing  investments  to  small  capitalists.  Al- 
though the  Spaniards  prosecuted  their  mining  operations 
more  extensively,  and  with  greater  industry,  perseverance, 
and  success,  it  is  not  evident  that  they  possessed  a  great- 
er amount  of  mineralogical  knowledge  than  the  Mexicans 
of  the  present  day.  Indeed,  numerous  ancient  surface  ex- 
cavations of  veins,  without  any  shafts  and  drifts,  still  show 
that  many  of  the  former  dedicated  themselves  only  to 
that  easy  mode  of  surface  working  which  most  readily 
furnished  them  payable  ores,  and  abandoned  the  veins  for 
new  ones  as  soon  as  the  raising  of  the  ores  became  more 
difficult,  or  the  latter  diminished  in  their  intrinsic  value. 
N'evertheless,  many  of  the  best  preserved  mines,  which 
date  from  that  time,  will  favorably  compare  with  those 
of  modern  development. 

At  the  present  time,  when  mining  has  reached  its  low- 
est ebb  in  Northern  Mexico,  there  are  but  few  mines  which 
create  special  comment ;  hence  the  erroneous  opinion  of 
many  travelers,  who  pay  flying  visits  to  that  part  of  the 
world,  that  the  mines  of  Alamos,  Cedros,  San  Xavier,  San 
Antonio  de  la  Huerta,  and  Babicanora,  in  the  State  of 
Sonora ;  those  of  Rosario,  in  Sinaloa,  and  those  of  Guada- 
lupe Calvo,  Cerro  Cahui,  Batopilas,  Vasaparas,  and  Pal- 
marejo,  in  the  State  of  Chihuahua,  are  the  only  ones  of 
merit.  Without  detracting  from  the  value  of  these  really 
good  mines,  it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  there  are  many 
hundreds  of  veins  worked  in  a  quiet,  unostentatious,  and 
often  shiftless  manner,  which  lose  nothing  by  comparison, 
while  a  good  many  far  excel  them  in  the  intrinsic  value 
of  their  ores.  But,  generally,  the  mines  of  this  part  of 
Mexico  are  worked  in  a  manner  which,  though  it  may 
satisfy  their  unambitious  owners,  can  never  fairly  develop 
their  inherent  wealth,  and  which  often  causes  their  total 
abandonment.  There  is  but  little  capital  invested  in  most 
of  these  enterprises,  little  or  no  expeditious  and  labor-sav- 


128  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

ing  machinery  used,  and  but  a  small  number  of  ojDeratives 
employed;  consequently,  no  equable  and  grand  results 
can  be  expected.  As  a  general  rule,  metallic  veins  do  not 
contain  in  all  their  parts  the  same  intrinsic  value  of  ore  : 
in  different  stretches  there  will  be  poor,  fair,  good,  and 
exceedingly  rich  ores ;  it  follows,  then,  that  in  working  a 
vein  only  in  a  few  isolated  spots — as  is  necessarily  the 
case  where  the  want  of  capital  prevents  the  occupation 
of  many  operatives,  and  the  subsequent  opening  of  many 
shafts  and  drifts — the  miner  takes  liis  chance  of  luck ;  he 
is  generally  content  if  he  manages  to  pay  his  way  along 
while  the  ores  are  poor ;  to  lay  by  a  little  for  the  day 
when  a  "  horse"  or  cut  makes  its  appearance  in  the  vein, 
confident  that  sooner  or  later  he  may  strike  a  rich  stretch 
of  ore,  and  rise  in  a  few  weeks  or  months  to  be  a  man  of 
more  or  less  fortune.  These  stretches  of  very  rich  ore 
are  at  uncertain  distances,  and  of  more  or  less  extent, 
sometimes  lasting  for  wrecks,  months,  and  even  years. 
When  a  mine  is  worked  on  a  large  scale,  the  enterprise 
is  less  exposed  to  extremes ;  for  from  the  many  different 
parts  of  the  vein  there  is  constantly  ore  of  all  classes 
raised,  and  the  poor,  good,  and  rich  ores  furnish  in  the 
aggregate  a  certain  average,  and  insure  an  equable  and 
constantly  profitable  return.  Most  of  the  Mexican  mines, 
if  worked  on  a  large  scale,  would  yield  revenues  that 
would  make  a  bank  director's  mouth  water. 

In  speaking  of  mines,  a  word  of  miners  is  not  amiss : 
There  is  a  numerous  body  of  poor  Mexican  miners,  the 
*'  gambussinos,"  who,  though  originally  a  very  deserving 
class  of  people,  have  done  much  harm  to  the  mining  inter- 
est, and,  although  their  ill-directed  industry  has  contrib- 
uted momentarily  to  augment  the  productiveness  of  min- 
ing, and,  indeed,  has  solely  sustained  many  mining  towns, 
they  have  nevertheless  proved  themselves  a  bane  *{o  the 
country.     (Those  petty  miners  who  dedicate  themselves 


The  Sierra  Madre  of  New  3Iexico.  129 

to  the  working  of  "  placers"  are  not  included  in  this  de- 
nunciation of  gambussinos,  albeit  they  bear  the  same  ap- 
pellation.) 

In  former  times,  before  the  devastating  incursions  of 
the  Apache  Indians,  the  gambussinos  occupied  themselves 
in  prospecting  and  discovering  mineral  veins,  which  they 
generally  sold  to  persons  of  capital ;  they  also  personally 
raised  and  reduced  ore  in  sufficient  quantity  for  their  in- 
dependent subsistence;  and  as  they  were  a  numerous 
body,  the  small  portions  of  gold  and  silver  annually  pro- 
duced by  each  individual  formed  quite  a  large  aggregate. 
But  when  the  hostilities  of  the  Apaches  rendered  it  un- 
safe for  single  individuals  to  traverse  the  country  in  all 
directions,  many  of  them  betook  themselves  in  bodies  to 
work  in  such  mines  as  had  been  abandoned  by  their  for- 
mer owners.  This  would  have  been  of  great  benefit  if 
they  had  formed  an  association  under  the  direction  of 
one  or  more  of  their  number,  instead  of  which  they  only 
congregated  together  for  the  sake  of  mutual  protection, 
while  each  individual  did  as  he  pleased.  Working  with- 
out order  and  foresight,  and  without  those  salutary 
checks  on  their  operations  which  were  interposed  by  the 
mining  inspectors  in  former  times,  they  break  out  ore 
only  where  most  handy  and  rich ;  and,  to  save  time  and 
labor,  they  throw  the  poor  ores  and  rubbish  into  those 
shafts  and  drifts  that  are  of  no  immediate  interest  to 
them,  and  thus  render  them  soon  impassable.  When  the 
ores  turn  poor  in  the  unobstructed  shafts,  they,  perhaps, 
regret  to  have  cut  off  the  access  to  those  in  other  parts 
of  the  vein ;  but  as  it  is  too  troublesome  and  costly  to 
reopen  them,  they  commence  to  diminish  the  size  of  the 
ore-pillars,  and  frequently  extract  some  of  them  altogeth- 
er. The  vein  walls,  losing  their  required  support,  begin 
to  crack,  and  Nature  generally  settles  the  business  with  a 
great  crash.     Never  mind,  there  are  other  abandoned 

F2 


1 30  Arizona  and  JSonora. 

mines  at  hand,  to  which  they  betake  themselves,  to  play 
the  same  game  over  again,  with  generally  the  same  re- 
sults ;  so  that,  when  a  mine  has  once  been  fairly  squatted 
upon  by  these  would-be  miners,  it  is  sure  to  be  more  or 
less  spoiled,  and  requires  often  a  large  expenditure  of  la- 
bor and  capital  to  reopen. 

A  good  deal  of  the  decay  of  the  mining  interest  is  to 
be  attributed  to  the  miners  personally.  Many  persons 
engaged  in  mining  enterprises  without  the  requisite 
knowledge  and  capital  to  insure  success,  very  often  in- 
volved themselves  in  debts,  which  as  often  they  were 
unable  to  pay ;  their  failure  created  distrust,  and  caused 
all  that  credit,  which  formerly  was  given  by  the  mer- 
chants most  liberally,  gradually  to  disappear,  much  to 
the  detriment  of  the  mining  industry  of  the  country. 
Until  experience  had  taught  them  better,  the  majority 
of  Mexican  miners,  servants  as  well  as  masters,  were  of 
the  most  spendthrift,  gambHng  disposition.  Almost  all 
the  Spaniards  who  worked  mines  in  Mexico  were  so  suc- 
cessful, and  realized  fortunes  so  easily  and  rapidly,  that 
most  of  their  Mexican  successors  thought  tneir  fortunes 
assured  by  merely  being  the  owners  of  mines,  altogether 
forgetting  that  it  was  also  indispensable  to  personally 
look  after  their  business,  and  to  practice  prudence  and 
economy.  Their  lavish,  gambling  mode  of  life,  their  neg- 
ligence and  laziness,  no  mine  in  the  world  was  rich 
enough  to  sustain ;  consequently,  when  a  horasca^  made 
its  appearance,  as  it  will  in  every  mine  once  in  a  while, 
they  not  only  found  themselves  without  the  means  of  in- 
dulging farther  in  vice  and  extravagance,  but  not  unfre- 
quently  without  the  requisite  funds  to  enable  them  to 
pierce  through  the  poor  ores  and  dead  rock  in  order  to 

*  Borasca  is  a  temporary  failure  of  the  vein  or  of  rich  metal.  It  is 
the  antithesis  of  bonanza,  which  signifies  a  rich  and  extensive  deposit 
of  metal  in  the  vein. 


The  Sierra  Madre  of  Neio  Mexico.  131 

strike  the  rich  ores  again.  Credit,  under  such  circum- 
stances, they  could  not  obtain,  for  who  would  trust  a 
gambling  spendthrift  ?  consequently,  they  were  obliged 
to  sell  or  abandon  mines  that  had  produced  hundreds  of 
thousands,  and  even  millions.  Their  successors  no  soon- 
er struck  a  honawza  than,  either  from  inclination  or  se- 
duced by  others,  they  commenced  to  enjoy  life  in  pretty 
much  the  same  manner,  which,  with  but  few  exceptions, 
ended  in  like  results.  "  Like  master,  like  man :"  the 
overseers  and  servants,  finding  the  business  left  entirely 
in  their  own  hands,  soon  began  to  think  that  a  few 
pounds  of  ore — every  day  more  or  less — would  make  no 
difference  and  never  be  missed ;  and,  being  excellent 
judges  of  ore,  they  always  selected  the  very  richest  for 
themselves  —  ore  so  rich  that  a  few  pounds  of  it  often 
enabled  them  to  imitate  their  master's  carousing  and 
gambling  on  a  small  scale.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that, 
under  such  circumstances,  the  pursuit  of  mining  should 
have  decayed  gradually  ? 

However,  gambussinos  and  miners  are  not  alone  to 
blame ;  for  many  are  the  causes  of  the  decay  of  minirig 
in  Northern  Mexico,  and  they  all  emanate  more  or  less 
directly  from  the  overthrow  of  the  Spanish  domination. 
The  first  suicidal  act  of  the  Mexican  government  was  the 
expulsion  of  the  Spanish  from  the  country,  which  gave  a 
fatal  blow  to  the  mining  interest  by  abstracting  from  it 
almost  all  the  capital  and  well-directed  industry  which, 
until  then,  had  sustained  it  in  splendor,  and  caused  the 
suspension  and  abandonment  of  many  raining  operations. 
The  establishment  of  the  republican  form  of  government 
did  not  prove  a  panacea  for  all  the  evils  the  Mexicans 
were  suffering  from,  and  led  to  continual  revolutions ; 
the  government,  always  more  or  less  in  need  of  the  mili- 
tary forces  to  quell  rebellions  in  the  capital  and  the  prin- 
cipal cities  of  the  interior  of  the  republic,  which  are  the 


132  Arizona  and  JSonora. 

hotbeds  of  revolutions,  was  compelled  to  greatly  reduce, 
and  finally,  from  the  empty  state  of  the  treasury,  alto- 
gether withdraw  the  troops  from  the  northern  frontier 
states,  where,  until  then,  they  had  afforded  protection 
against  the  daily  increasing  hostilities  of  the  Apaches. 
In  consequence,  all  the  more  immediately  exposed  mines, 
hamlets,  and  ranches  in  the  states  of  Chihuahua  and  So- 
nera were  gradually  abandoned,  as  few  of  them  employ- 
ed a  sufficient  number  of  people  to  afford  a  self-sustaining 
protection.  Prior  to  this,  however,  many"  mines  had  al- 
ready been  abandoned  in  Sonora,  in  consequence  of  the 
uprising  of  the  Opata  and  Yaqui  Indians,  w^ho  were  liv- 
ing in  the  eastern  and  southern  part  of  the  state,  which 
caused  a  sanguinary  struggle  of  some  duration.  Many 
mines  were  also  deserted  in  consequence  of  the  rebellions 
of  the  Papago  and  Seri  Indians ;  and  although  all  these 
half-civilized  tribes  were  re-subjugated,  many  mines  re- 
mained in  an  abandoned  state,  or  were  squatted  ujDon  by 
gambussinos. 

A  great  many  mines,  although  not  sftuated  so  near  to 
th^  habitats  of  the  savages  as  to  render  a  residence  inse- 
cure to  life,  are  in  districts  devoid  of  arable  lands  and 
deficient  in  water  power :  the  reduction  of  their  ores  by 
the  amalgamation  process,  the  principal  manipulations  of 
which  were  effected  by  horse  or  mule  power,  required  a 
constant  supply  of  well-conditioned  animals ;  but  when 
it  became  impossible  to  securely  keep  these  in  th^  natu- 
ral pastures  of  the  country,  and  their  maintenance  in  sta- 
bles proved  too  costly  on  account  of  the  difiiculties  of 
transit  and  the  consequent  high  price  of  j^rovender,  many 
of  these  mines  were  gradually  abandoned  by  their  own- 
ers, to  whom  the  application  of  steam  power  was  either 
unknown,  or,  for  want  of  capital,  impossible. 

Many  mines,  again,  have  been  abandoned  when  the 
first  stretch  of  poor  ore,  or  a  cut  in  the  vein,  appeared. 


The  t^ieira  Madre  of  New  Mexico,  133 

owing  to  the  Avant  of  perseverance  and  means,  or  the  ig- 
norance and  apathy  of  their  owners ;  while  others  were 
left  on  account  of  the  abundance  of  inherent  water,  for 
the  extraction  of  which  the  here  known  applications  of 
windlasses,  wims,  and  drain -tunnels  were  either  found 
insufficient  or  inapplicable.  Others,  again,  were  deserted 
on  account  of  suffocation,  and  a  great  number  because 
the  ores  were  too  rebellious  to  yield  to  the  simple  modes 
of  reduction  known  to  their  ignorant  owners.  Not  un- 
frequently  the  owners,  before  abandoning  their  mines, 
would  break  out  the  ore  pillars,  thereby  rendering  the 
reopening  of  them  by  others  more  difficult  and  expen- 
sive. 

All  these  outward  pressures  have  necessarily  operated 
most  injuriously  on  the  mining  interest  of  the  country, 
which,  in  spite  of  the  immense  natural  mineral  wealth  of 
the  country,  has  been  decaying.  To  look  for  an  improve- 
ment of  this  state  of  things  to  the  Mexicans  alone  seems 
hopeless  indeed.  They  possess  their  virtues,  but  a  want 
of  enterprise,  of  mutual  confidence  and  spirit  of  associa- 
tion, of  industry  and  perseverance,  which  characterizes 
them,  is  not  likely  to  lift  them  out  of  their  present  de- 
spondency, and  to  effect  the  regeneration  of  their  superb 
country. 

A  foreign  element  is  now  required  to  revive  mining  in 
that  part  of  Mexico,  and  to  restore  it  to  its  pristine  splen- 
dor and  productiveness.  Several  enterprises,  undertaken 
of  late  by  foreigners,  invite  imitation,  and  give  cheering 
hopes  that  mining  will  once  more  become  the  mainstay 
of  the  country.  "Such  mines  as  the  Sierra  Madre  pre- 
sents "inust  and  loill  he  worJced  as  soon  as  they  become 
known  abroad.  It  was  but  recently  stated  by  Sir  Rod- 
erick Murchison,  the  eminent  geologist  (communicating 
to  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  the  results  of  the  trav- 
els of  Charles  Savin,  Esq.,  who,  accompanied  by  an  assay- 


134  Arizo7ia  and  Sonora. 

er  and  practical  Cornisli  miner,  had  lately  visited  the  Sier- 
ra Madre),  "?Aa^,  taith  foreign  capital  and  perseverance^ 
almost  all  the  mines  and  veins  of  that  part  of  Mexico 
vwidd  yield  good  results  f^  and  the  dividends  that  several 
foreign  companies  have  been  lately  paying  incontestably 
show  that,  with  proper  management,  mining  investments 
in  that  country  are  not  only  safe,  but  highly  remunera- 
tive. Since  the  discovery  of  the  Washoe  silver  mines,  a 
great  spirit  of  enterprise  has  been  manifested  by  Califor- 
nians  to  make  investments  of  this  class ;  but  as  they  can 
not  all  be  accommodated  near  home,  it  is  most  proper  to 
direct  them  to  Northern  Mexico,  than  which  no  country 
can  hold  out  greater  inducements.  The  field  for  mining 
enterprises  here  is  immense ;  for,  not  to  mention  the  in- 
finitude of  undeveloped  veins,  the  mines,  with  but  few 
exceptions,  may  be  considered  as  virgin  yet ;  for  works 
to  the  depth  of  100  yards  or  so  are  but  surface  works, 
and  offer  for  centuries  yet  to  cqpie  profitable  employ- 
ment to  people  that  may  be  counted  by  millions.  But  it 
must  not  be  inferred  that  Northern  Mexico  is  an  imme- 
diate field  for  poor  miners,  although  the  day  is  probably 
not  far  distant  when  even  such  may  find  it  to  their  ad- 
vantage to  transplant  themselves  to  that  country. 

"To  work  a  mine  requires  another  mine,"  is  an  old 
Spanish  saying,  which,  like  most  proverbs,  contains  a 
truth ;  and  although  there  are  many  mines  in  Northern 
Mexico  which,  worked  even  on  a  moderate  scale,  may 
and  do  pay  well  enough,  yet,  to  insure  equable  and  con- 
stantly profitable  returns,  it  can  not  be  repeated  too  oft- 
en, necessitates  the  investment  of  large  capitals.  The  in- 
ducements to  raining  enterprises  in  that  country,  it  has 
been  said  already,  are  very  great,  and  can  not  fail  to  at- 
tract foreign  capital  when  they  become  more  known, 
and  when  the  objection  generally  raised,  "  the  unsettled 
state  of  political  affairs,"  is  properly  understood. 


The  Sierra  Madre  of  New  Mexico.  135 

The  frequent  revolutions,  changes  of  government,  and 
civil  wars,  wliich  have  characterized  the  Mexican  republic 
for  the  last  forty  years,  have  made  themselves  felt  in  the 
frontier  states  of  Chihuahua  and  Sonora  disastrously  only 
in  so  far  as  they  caused  these  states  to  be  left  without 
sufficient  military  protection  against  the  hostile  Apaches, 
otherwise  they  have  not  suffered  from  the  "legerdemains" 
of  the  ambitious  political  and  military  chiefs  who  so  fre- 
quently usurped  the  supreme  power  of  the  republic.  In 
fact,  these  two  states  are  virtually  almost  independent 
from  Mexico,  and  their  inhabitants  trouble  themselves 
very  little  about  what  is  going  on  in  the  centre  of  the  re- 
public. 

The  State  of  Chihuahua  has  also  been  singularly  ex- 
empt from  state  rebellions  and  intestine  wars;  and  al- 
though there  have  been  "pronunciamentos"  which  caused 
sudden  changes  in  her  government,  still  the  people  ak 
ways  had  the  good  sense  to  steer  clear  of  such  revolu- 
tions as  would  cause  stagnation  of  trade  and  lead  to 
bloodshed.  In  the  sanguinary  war  which  has  afflicted 
Mexico  during  the  last  five  years,  and  which  has  struck 
at  the  root  of  all  revolutions  to  render  them  difficult  for 
file  future.  Chihuahua  has  escaped  almost  entirely.  Of 
late  years  the  Chihuahuenses  have  done  much  toward 
the  progress  of  their  very  fine  state ;  and  if  there  be  any 
body  of  Mexicans  who  show  themselves  superior  to  fate, 
and  may,  without  much  foreign  help,  rebuild  their  fallen 
fortunes,  they  are  surely  in  the  State  of  Chihuahua,  al- 
though the  general  poverty  of  the  people  may  render  it 
a  very  slow  process.  It  has  already  been  said  that  this 
state,  with  the  rest  of  Northern  Mexico,  has  suffered 
greatly  from  the  devastations  of  the  Apaches ;  and  al- 
though the  agricultural  and  bucolic  interests  suffered 
most,  and  the  great  number  of  magnificent  grazing  es- 
tates have  been  more  or  less  ruined,  the  people  have  of 


136  A7'izo7ia  and  Sonora. 

late  years  persecuted  the  savages  so  perseveringly  and 
successfully  that  the  latter  have  withdrawn,  and  confined 
their  marau:ding  expeditions  to  Sonora,  Arizona,  and  New 
Mexico.  It  is  now  very  rarely  indeed  that  Apache  dep- 
redations are  heard  of  in  Chihuahua,  and  consequently 
many  deserted  hamlets  and  estates  have  been  and  are 
being  reoccupied. 

The  State  of  Sonora  has  suffered  more,  having  had  sev- 
eral intestine  wars,  occasional  rebellions  of  the  half-civil- 
ized Indian  tribes'that  inhabit  it,  and  being  still  overrun 
by  the  Apaches.  The  greater  part  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
portion  of  Sonora  has,  however,  by  means  of  its  natural, 
inaccessible  character,  been  exempt  from  the  hostilities 
of  the  Apaches,  and  has  also  escaped  from  the  direct  re- 
sults of  civil  wars.  As  the  Indians  have  always  been 
worsted  in  Sonora,  and  t||e  people,  Creoles  as  well  as  abo- 
riginals, are  heartily  sick  and  tired  of  revolutions,  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  and  indeed  most  probable,  that  in  future  the 
energies  of  the  people  will  be  directed  into  more  produc- 
tive channels,  and  that  the  present  reign  of  peace  will  be 
durable,  and  conducive  to  the  prosperity  of  this  naturally 
rich  state. 

The  inducements  to  mining  enterprises,  which  are  a]P 
plicable  to  all  parts  of  Chihuahua,  Sonora,  and  Sinaloa, 
are,  good  mines,  liberal  mining  laws,  cheap  labor,  and  a 
fine,  salubrious  climate ;  to  which  may  be  added  the  fa- 
vorable disposition  of  the  governors  of  these  states,  Avho 
are  anxious  to  attract  foreign  capitalists  to  their  country, 
and  will  concede  to  such  as  many  privileges  as  can  rea- 
sonably be  ^oked  for.  The  good  sense  of  the  difierent 
state  governments,  political  parties,  and  even  half- civil- 
ized Indian  tribes,  in  drawing  a  distinction  between  na- 
tives and  foreigners,  and  not  troubling  the  latter  while 
they  keep  aloof  from  the  political  quarrels  of  the  former, 
is  most  praiseworthy,  and  affords  a  greater  security  than 


The,  Sierra  Madre  of  JSfeio  Mexico.  137 

the  best  written  laws  alone  could  guarantee  to  foreign 
residents.  In  all  other  respects  the  inducements  differ 
with  the  nature  of  the  respective  veins  and  their  local- 
ities. "While  those  mines  and  veins  which  are  situated 
in  the  lower  branches  of  the  Mother  Mountains,  and  iso- 
lated mountain  ranges  of  Sonora,  are  in  general  nearer  to 
shipping  ports,  easier  of  access,  and  frequently  admit  of 
wagon  transportation,  and  while  most  of  them  are  nearer 
to  the  agricultural  districts,  and  can  obtain  the  necessaries 
of  life  more  readily  and  much  cheaper,  they  are  generally 
entirely  deficient  in  water  power  and  suitable  timber  for 
building  purposes  and  machinery,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  those  of  Alamos,  more  or  less  exposed  to  the  dep- 
redations and  hostilities  of  the  Apaches.  Those  mines 
of  Sonora  and  Chihuahua  which  are  situated  in  the  Sier- 
ra Madre  have  the  inestimable  advantages  of  abundance 
of  water  and  frequent  possible  application  of  Avater  pow- 
er, any  amount  of  pine  and  oak  timber,  pasture  in  abund- 
ance the  year  round,  and  natural  defenses  that  in  them- 
selves have  proved  a  barrier  against  revolutionary  bands, 
and  in  most  parts,  also,  against  the  incursions  of  the 
Apaches;  but  they  admit  no  transportation  except  on 
fbule-back,  and  are  more  distant  fron  the  salt  mines  and 
'  agi'icultural  districts  than  those  of  the  lowlands.  Some 
parts  of  the  Mother  Mountains  of  Chihuahua,  however, 
are  close  to  an  extensive  agricultural  district,  where  prod- 
uce may  be  obtained  for  next  to  nothing.  As  regards 
the  agricultural  and  pastoral  resources  of  the  here  men- 
tioned states,  they  are  quite  sufficient  for  the  demand 
that  can  ever  be  made  upon  them,  for  they  admit  of  great 
extension,  if  such  should  become  necessary  in  the  course 
of  time. 

The  value  of  the  auriferous  ores  of  that  section  of  Mex- 
ico varies  as  much  as  in  the  quartz  mines  of  California, 
while  the  capricious  dissemination  of  gold  tlirough  its 


138  Arizona  and  8onora. 

gangue  renders  the  working  of  quartz  in  the  former 
country  as  precarious  as  in  the  latter.  But  veins  of  sil- 
ver ore  are  not  capricious,  and  may  be  worked  for  centu- 
ries with  a  sure  prospect  of  a  constant  yield.  In  regard 
to  the  richness  and  value  of  the  argentiferous  ores,  they 
differ,  of  course,  in  different  veins.  It  has  been  asserted, 
however,  by  most  intelligent  and  practical  foreign  miners, 
personally  well  acquainted  with  Washoe  and  Northern 
Mexico, "  tlia%  as  a  general  rule^  the  mines  and  veins  of 
the  latter  greatly  surj^ass  those  of  the  former,  and,  taking 
every  thing  else  into  corisideration,  the  inducements  are 
much  in  favor  of  the  Sierra  Madre  of  Mexico P-  There 
is  an  indefinite  quantity  of  mines,  the  ores  of  which  pay 
from  $50  to  $300  per  ton ;  and  this  asserted  estimate  is 
not  based  on  tlwse  worthless  tests, "  assays  of  isolated 
pieces  of  rock,"  but  founded  on  the  known  proceeds 
which  the  reduced  ores  of  the  mines  have  yielded  for 
years.  In  rich  stretches  of  the  vein,  and  when  the  latter 
is  in  "  bonanza,"  the  ores  of  many  mines  have  frequently 
yielded  thousands  of  dollars  per  ton. 

There  still  remains  to  consider  the  acquisition  of  mines 
and  veins,  on  which  a  word  of  advice  may  not  be  amiss. 
In  a  country  like  Northern  Mexico,  groaning  under  the 
weight  of  its  metallic  wealth,  and  abounding  in  mines 
more  or  less  developed,  there  would  appear  to  be  no  dif- 
ficulty about  their  acquisition.  But  to  secure  a  valuable 
mine,  and  at  the  same  time  to  make  a  good  investment, 
requires  more  than  the  mere  possessioii  of  a  long  purse  : 
it  requires  experience  in  mining  matters,  and  necessitates 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  country  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  people. 

As  it  is  desirable  that  in  the  investments  of  foreiirn 
capital  there  should  be  no  error  committed  at  the  outset, 
than  which  nothing  would  retard  the  progress  of  this 
new  mining  field  more,  all  persons  new  to  the  country 


The  Sierra  Madre  of  Neio  Mexico.  139 

had  better  leave  all  abandoned  mines  alone,  unless  direct- 
ed to  them  by  persons  long  resident  in  the  country, 
whose  character  and  veracity  are  undoubted,  and  v^ho, 
after  the  investigation  of  all  the  facts,  current  accounts, 
and  traditions,  have  full  confidence  in  some  abandoned 
mine  or  other.  There  are,  undoubtedly,  many  abandoned 
mines  that  are  well  worthy  of  attention  and  outlay  of 
capital;  but  strangers  are  not  likely  to  know  at  once 
which  of  the  many  deserted  mines  it  will  be  prudfnt  to 
meddle  with.  Under  the  present  state  of  things,  the 
safest  investments  for  new-comers  will  be  those  mines 
that  have  hona  fide  owners ;  for,  as  long  as  a  mine  can 
be  advantageously  worked,  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  country^  it  is  hardly  ever  abandoned  altogether. 

But  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  such  mines  can  be  ob- 
tained for  a  mere  trifle ;  for  their  owners  are  fully  alive  to 
the  value  of  their  possessions,  and  as  they  are  already  in 
a  more  or  less  independent  position,  and  always  in  ex- 
pectation of  a  sudden  fortune,  they  are  not  anxious  to 
sell,  unless  induced  by  a  fair  oiFer.  There  any  many  na- 
tive miners  of  small  means  willing  to  cede  part  of  their 
mines  ,on  condition  that  a  certain  amount  of  capital  be 
invested  to  promote  extensive  and  more  profitable  oper- 
ations ;  but,  unless  the  owners  of  mines  be  foreigners,  it 
is  not  advisable  to  enter  into  such  arrangements.  Far 
better  to  give  a  long  price  for  the  absolute  ownership  of 
a  mine  at  once. 

If  foreign  capitalists  desire  to  make  investments  in 
Mexican  mines,  it  is  necessary  that  they  are  liberally  in- 
clined ;  if  so,  there  are  undoubtedly  proper  persons  to 
be  found  who  will  help  them  to  good  abandoned  mines, 
and  many  owners  will  be  found  willing  to  sell  their 
mines.  Moneyed  Californians  may  soon  find  out  that 
there  are  mines  in  Northern  Mexico  which  will  well  re- 
pay the  reposed  trust,  and  content  any  reasonable  man. 


140  Arizo9ia  and  ISonora. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  MNES  OF  JESUS  MARIA  AND  SAN  JOSE.» 

Condition  of  Mining  in  Mexico.  — Wealth  of  the  old  Spanish  Miners. 
— Tkj  Faults,  of  their  Successors. — A  European  Superintendent  of 
the  tfesus  Maria  Mines. — M.  Augustus  Remuley. — Abandonment  of 
the  Mines. — Recent  Movements. — Present  Prospects. — The  Mines 
near  Jesus  Maria  and  Jose. — Nuestra  Sefiora  del  Rayo. — Santa  Mar- 
garita.— San  Jose  del  Rosario. — Candelaria. — San  Rafael. — Haci- 
enda Quintana. — General  Notes. 

As  you  are  personally  acquainted  with  the  mining  dis- 
trict of  "  Jesus  Maria,"  you  will  be  able  to  give  much 
valuable  information  on  that  head ;  and,  besides,  I  think 
that  the  mining  region  of  the  "  Sierra  Madre"  is  suffi- 
ciently famed  to  be  known  in  the  United  States  and  in 
Europe.  Yet,  what  must  strike  persons  not  personally 
acquainted  with  Mexico  most,  and  requires  explanation, 
is  the  fact  that  there  are  so  many  good  mines  in  an  aban- 
doned state,  and  that  many  of  those  that  are  known  to 
be  of  inherent  richness  and  steadily  worked,  do  so  sel- 
dom enrich  their  owners.  You  and  I,  and  many  hundred 
others  of  foreign  residents  in  this  country^  know  the  rea- 
son of  this  ;  but  persons  abroad  can  hardly  imagine  that 
in  a  country  like  this,  famed  for  its  mineral  wealth,  there 
should  be  so  little  theoretical  and  practical  knowledge 
of  mining — of  labor-saving  machinery — of  practical  appli- 
cation of  scientific  inventions — that,  in  short,  every  thing 
should  be  managed  in  pretty  much  the  same  style  as  a 
century  ago.  Want  of  enterprise,  or  of  capital  in  enter- 
prising men ;  want  of  mutual  confidence  and  considera- 

*  Notes  on  the  Mineral  of  Jesus  Maria  y  Jose,  etc.,  by  A.  W.  C. 
Brawns,  Esq. 


The  Mines  of  Jesus  Maria  and  iSa?i  Jose,         141 

tion ;  want  of  security  in  many  localities  on  one  hand, 
and  an  almost  total  want  of  industry  and  perseverance, 
of  prudence,  forethought,  and  economy  on  the  other,  are 
among  the  principal  reasons  of  the  decay  into  wlq^h  this 
most  important  pursuit  has  fallen  of  late. 

The  many  millions  of  gold  and  silver  yearly  exported 
from  this  republic  attest  the  abundance  and  richness  of 
the  Mexican  mines  ;  yet  this  product,  as  you  well  know, 
is  as  nothing  to  what  they  might  produce  under  a  differ- 
ent state  of  things.  Almost  all  the  old  Spaniards  who 
worked  mines  in  this  country  after  the  -discovery  of  its 
mineral  wealth  realized  fortunes  so  rapidly  and.  easily 
that  their  successors  thought  their  fortunes  assured  by 
merejjr  being  the  owners  of  mines,  altogether  forgetting 
that  it  was  also  indispensable  to  personally  look  after 
their  business,  and  to  practice  economy  and  prudence. 
Their  riotous  mode  of  life,  their  laziness  and  negligence, 
no  mine  in  the  Avorld  was  rich  enough  to  sustain,  and, 
consequently,  when  a  "  borasca"  made  its  appearance,  as 
it  will  in  every  mine  once  in  a  while,  they  not  only  found 
themselves  withoi^  the  means  of  indulging  in  farther 
luxury  and  extravagance,  but  also  without  the  necessary 
funds  to  pierce  through  the  "poor  ores"  and  dead  rock 
in  order  to  strike  the  "rich  ores"  again.  Credit  under 
such  circumstances  they  could  not  obtain  —  for  who 
would  trust  a  gambling  spendthrift? — consequently,  were 
obliged  to  sell  or  abandon  mines  that  had  produced  mil- 
lions. Their  successors,  no  sooner  did  they  strike  a  "bo- 
nanza" than,  either  by  inclination  or  seduced  by  others, 
they  commenced  to  enjoy  life  in  pretty  much  the  same 
manner,  which,  with  very  few  exceptions,  ended  in  like 
results.  "  Like  master,  like  man ;"  the  overseers  and 
servants,  finding  the  business  left  entirely  in  their  own 
hands,  soon  began  to  think  that  a  few  pounds  of  ore  ev- 
ery day,  more  or  less,  made  no  difference  to  their  masters. 


142  Arizona  and  Honor  a. 

and  would  never  be  missed;  and, being  excellent  judges 
of  ore,  they  always  selected  the  very  richest  for  them- 
selves— ore  so  rich  that  a  few  pounds  of  it  often  enabled 
them  Jo  imitate  their  master's  gambling  and  carousing 
on  a  small  scale.  Yet  this  working  of  mines,  and  living 
in  great  profusion  and  pleasurable  excitement,  in  the 
hope  of  a  speedy  fortune,  was  too  good  to  be  monopo- 
lized by  Mexicans  alone. 

The  fame  of  the  rich  mines  had  spread  to  Europe,  and 
induced  men  of  capital  to  come  out  or  to  send  represent- 
atives. The  example  of  one  foreigner,  whose  name  it 
w^ould  be  cruel  to  mention,  will  exemplify  the  case  of 
many  of  his  class  who  sunk  fortunes  in  this  manner.  He 
had  been  sent  out  by  a  joint  stock  company  to  inspect 
the  mines  and  veins  of  "Jesus  Maria,"  and  to  invest  a 
considerable  capital  in  some  of  them,  with  a  view  of  real- 
izing fifty  per  cent,  per  annum  on  it.  Furnished  with 
plenty  of  introductory  letters,  he  no  sooner  made  his  ap- 
pearance at  this  mining  town  than  its  el'ite^  rejoiced  to  see 
a  new  face,  overwhelmed  him  with  profuse  hospitalities, 
shortening  the  nights,  and  many  of^e  days  too,  with 
the  excitement  of  gambling  and  all  sorts  of  debauchery. 
Pleased  and  gratified  by  this  warm  reception  in  a  strange 
land,  he  deemed  himself  in  honor  bound  to  show  his  ap- 
preciation by  a  return  of  similar  hospitalities ;  and  thus 
dinners,  balls,  picnics,  shooting  and  fishing  parties,  with 
bands  of  music  hired  for  the  nonce  at  a  couple  of  hundred 
dollars,  and  Champagne  at  fifty  dollars  a  basket,  not  to 
mention  the  other  questionable  inventions  for  killing  time, 
was  the  order  of  the  day  for  six  months  in  succession. 
Being  far  removed  from  Europe,  it  took  a  long  time  to 
correspond  ;  but  at  last  answers  arrived  from  home  to 
letters  which  he  had  dispatched  after  his  arrival  (and 
which  had  been  filled  with  glowing  accounts  of  the  wealth 
of  the  "Jesus  Maria  mines"  and  their  owners),  express- 


The  Mines  of  Jesus  Maria  and  ISan  JosL         143 

ing  the  hope  of  soon  hearing  the  result  of  his  investments. 
Brought  to  his  senses,  and  overcome  with  shame  at  hav- 
ing squandered  nearly  half  of  the  capital  intrusted  to  his 
care,  he  bethought  himself  of  some  profitable  investment, 
and  of  eschewing  his  riotous  friends.  Having  purchased 
a  good  but  neglected  mine,  which  required  the  construc- 
tion of  a  drain-tunnel,  and  other  expensive  works,  to  be  re- 
opened, he  went  to  work  in  earnest,  and  soon  expended 
the  remaining  capital  in  the  prosecution  of  these  works, 
without,  however,  completing  them.  After  he  had  duly 
notified  his  constituents  at  home  that,  in  order  to  com- 
plete the  commenced  works  and  to  work  the  mine,  anoth- 
er large  sum  would  have  to  be  remitted  to  him,  he  was 
startled  with  the  orders  of  the  shareholders  to  abandon 
an  enterprise  that,  from  the  large  outlays  already  made 
without  any  tangible  results  and  proofs,  promised  to  be  a 
most  unprofitable  investment.  Disgusted,  he  left  for  parts 
unknown,  a  victim  to  the  reckless  life  in  a  Mexican  min- 
ing town;  and  since  that  time  foreign  capitalists  have 
been  shy  of  Jesus  Maria  mining  investments.  Yet,  had 
he  strictly  attended  to  his  business,  and  invested  the  sub- 
scribed capital  entirely  in  the  enterprise,  there  is  no  dou15t 
that  good  results  would  have  crowned  the  undertaking. 

It  is  but  just  to  give  another  example  attesting  the  rich- 
ness of  a  "Jesus  Maria"  mine — that  of  Mr.  Augustin  Re- 
muley,  a  poor  French  gentleman,  who,  in  order  to  better 
his  fortune,  had  been  induced  to  accept  the  situation  of 
administrador  of  the  mine  of  "  Santa  Juliana,"  with  an 
annual  salary  of  $480,  his  board  and  lodging,  and  three 
per  cent,  of  the  net  profits  of  the  mine.  He  realized  in 
one  year  $37,000  of  his  own,  while  the  fortunate  owners 
of  this  celebrated  mine  shortly  after  became  bankrupt, 
with  a  deficit  of  nearly  half  a  million  of  dollars,  likewise 
victims  of  extravagance  and  gambling. 

Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that,  under  such  a  regime,  the 


144  Arizona  and  Sonoixt. 

pursuit  of  mining  should  gradually  have  fallen  into  decay 
and  general  disrepute,  and  that  this  most  important  branch 
of  industry  should  have  been  languishing  of  late  years  for 
want  of  capital,  of  credit,  and  of  confidence  in  it,  when 
the  apathy  and  demoralization  of  the  people  have  had  the 
tendency  to  cause  a  general  retrogression  and  gradual 
impoverishment  of  the  whole  country  ?  For  the  last  few 
years  the  mines  of  "Jesus  Maria,"  like  many  of  those  of 
other  localities,  have  either  been  wholly  abandoned,  or 
been  worked  by  gambussinos  alone,  which  latter  people 
soon  render  a  mine  unworkable,  and  cause  its  total  aban- 
donment. A  foreign  element  is  now  required  to  revive 
mining  in  this  country,  and  to  restore  it  to  its  former  pris- 
tine splendor  and  productiveness.  Several  enterprises, 
undertaken  of  late  by  foreigners,  give  cheering  hopes,  and 
invite  imitation,  that  mining  will  soon  be  restored,  and 
become  again  the  mainstay  of  the  country.  Since  the  dis- 
covery of  the  silver  mines  at  Washoe,  Nevada  Territory, 
United  States,  the  American  caj^italists  have  become  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  the  profitableness  of  mining  invest- 
ments, and  a  very  great  spirit  of  mining  enterprise  is  now 
manifested  by  Californians  to  make  investments  in  this 
country.  Purchases  of  mines  have  been  efiected  in  this 
and  the  neighboring  state  of  Sinaloa  at  very  high  figures, 
and  other  conditional  purchases  have  been  made  by  spec- 
ulators, while  each  vessel  of  late  arrived  from  San  Fran- 
cisco has  brought  its  mining  prospectors  in  great  force, 
so  that  the  regeneration  of  this  section  of  the  country 
seems  to  be  near  at  hand. 

I  have  been  thus  prolix  on  this  head,  because  I  think  it 
necessary  to  the  object  you  have  in  view  to  show  the  real 
causes  of  the  many  disastrous  results  of  mining  invest- 
ments in  this  country,  and  to  disabuse  the  public  mind 
abroad  of  the  too  often  predisposed  unfavorable  opinion 
of  the  Mexican  mines.     It  was  but  recently  stated  by  Sir 


The  Mines  of  Jesus  Maria  and  San  JosL        145 

Roderick  Murchison,  the  eminent  president  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society,  communicating  to  the  R.  G.  Society 
the  results  of  the  travels  of  Mr.  Charles  Savin,  F.R.G.S. 
(who,  accompanied  by  an  assayer  and  practical  Cornish 
miner,  had  visited  the  Sierra  Madre  in  Sinaloa  and  Chi- 
huahua), "  that,  with  British  capital  and  perseverance,  al- 
most all  the  mines  and  veins  of  this  part  of  the  world 
Avould  yield  good  returns ;"  and  the  dividends  that  sev- 
eral foreign  companies  in  this  republic  have  of  late  been 
paying  incontestably  show  that,  with  proper  management, 
investments  in  the  mines  of  this  country  are  not  only  safe, 
but  also  highly  remunerative.  And  it  should  also  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  mines,  with  but  few  exceptions, 
may  be  said  to  be  virgin  yet ;  for  works  to  the  depth  of  a 
Imndred  yards  or  so  are  but  surface  works,  and  offer,  for 
centuries  yet  to  come,  profitable  employment  to  people 
that  may  be  counted  by  millions. 

I  now  proceed  to  give  a  detailed  description  of  the  dif- 
ferent mines,  and  the  ore-reducing  establishment,  owned 
by  Messrs.  Gutierrez,  Andreo,  and  Brawns,  in  the  imme- 
diate neighborhood  of  the  mining  town  of  Jesus  Maria 
and  Jose,  in  the  State  of  Chihuahua,  Republic  of  Mexico.* 

I.  Niiestra  Senora  del  Hayo. — ^This  mine  was  discov- 
ered shortly  after  the  discovery  of  the  mine  of  "Jesus 
Maria,"  from  which  the  mining  town  obtained  its  name, 
in  the  year  1823,  and  is  situated  in  the  western  range  of 
mountains  of  the  Creek  (arroyo)  of  Jesus  Maria,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town.  The  "Rayo" 
was  discovered  at  the  same  time  as  the  celebrated  "  Santa 
Juliana"  Mine,  from  which  it  is  about  500  varas  distant. 
Its  first  owners  were  Messrs.  Thomas  Suza  and  Thomas 
Rivera,  who  -worked  it  successfully,  with  good  results  in 

*  These  notes  are  introduced  as  the  most  extended  and  accurate  in 
reference  to  the  Sierra  Madre  mines,  the  characteristic  being  the  same 
in  Sonora  and  Chihuahua. — S.  M. 

G 


146  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

gold  and  silver,  according  to  the  accounts  of  trustworthy 
persons  still  living  at  Jesus  Maria,  and  abandoned  it  on 
the  discovery  of  the  "  bonanza"  (extremely  rich  ores)  in 
the  "  Santa  Juliana"  Mine,  of  which  they  were  part  own- 
ers. This  happened  in  the  year  1826.  Afterward  Messrs. 
Siqueiros  Brothers  worked  the  mine,  but  abandoned  it 
later  on  account  of  suffocation,  caused  by  their  having 
worked  the  shafts  and  drifts  in  a  very  narrow  and  dis- 
orderly style.  For  about  twenty-five  years  the  "  Rayo" 
remained  abandoned,  being  only  occasionally  worked  by 
"  gambussinos."  These  are  poor,  petty  miners,  who  work 
without  licQnse  and  without  order;  break  out  ore  here 
and  there,  wherever  most  handy  and  easy,  and,  to  save 
labor  and  time  (they  doing  all  the  work  personally),  gen- 
erally throw  the  offal  ores  and  dead  rock  in  the  shafts  and 
drifts  not  occupied  by  them ;  so  that,  when  a  mine  once 
is  squatted  upon  by  these  petty  miners,  it  is  sure  soon  to 
be  rendered  unfit  for  working,  requiring  a  large  expendi- 
ture of  labor  and  money  to  reopen  it.  In  consequence, 
they  soon  brought  the  mine  into  an  unworkable  state,  and 
were  compelled  to  abandon  it. 

In  the  year  1850,  Mr.  J.  C.  Henriquez,  knowing  the 
mine  to  have  been  left  in  good  ores,  "  denounced"  it  with 
a  view  to  its  restoration  and  possession,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent moment  (month  of  May,  1861)  the  entire  mine  is 
cleaned  and  restored.  In  this  undertaking  over  $5000 
have  been  expended.  Since,  the  mine  has  been  purchased 
by  Mr.  Ramon  Andreu ;  he  is  occupying  twenty  miners 
per  day,  although  there  is  room  and  occasion  to  occupy 
from  140  to  150  operatives  with  ease  and  profit. 

The  extent  of  possession  of  the  "Rayo"  Mine  is  700 
varas;  the  lowest  depth  as  yet  reached  about  seventy 
varas  vertically,  the  vein  having  an  inclination  of  from 
15°  to  20°,  and  running  from  east  to  west.  The  works 
of  the  mine  are  as  follows:  above  there  is  a  drift-shaft 


The  Mines  of  Jesus  Maria  and  San  Jose.        147 

(tajo)  forty  varas  deep,  twenty-five  varas  long,  and  five 
varas  wide  in  firm  walls,  whence  two  shafts  have  been 
sunk,  each  fifteen  varas  deep,  six  varas  long,  and  three 
and  a  half  varas  wide,  leaving  a  pillar  fourteen  by  fifteen 
varas  between.  From  thence  two  other  shafts  of  the 
same  dimensions  have  been  sunk,  one  of  which  is  at  pres- 
ent eleven,  and  the  other  ten  varas  deep.  The  intention 
is  from  thence  to  run  a  large  drift,  in  order  to  give  more 
room  for  operatives  to  be  employed.  The  vein,  in  all  its 
parts,  in  the  sides  of  the  drifts  and  shafts,  i3resents  ores 
of  the  same  class  as  the  accompanying  samples.  In  or- 
der to  ventilate  the  mine,  it  has  been  necessary  to  lessen 
the  size  of  the  pillars  and  to  widen  the  walls,  in  the  do- 
ing of  which  a  new  vein  of  auriferous  and  argentiferous 
quartz  has  been  met  with,  of  which  the  sample,  marked 
*'  El  Rayo,"  is  a  fair  specimen.  This  vein  is  of  a  width 
of  two  inches,  and  about  half  a  vara  from  the  other  upper 
vein,  so  that  all  the  difierent  veins  can  be  worked  togeth- 
er in  one  and  the  same  shaft.  Sample  IsTo.  1,  marked 
"  Nstra.  Sra.  del  Rayo,"  is  from  this  upper  vein,  and  like- 
wise two  inches  thick ;  N"o.  2  is  from  the  middle  vein, 
and  nine  inches  thick;  No.  3  is  from  the  lower  vein, 
which  is  from  seven  to  ten  inches  in  thickness.  As  al- 
ready said,  the  uppermost  one  is  divided  by  dead  rock 
half  a  vara  thick  from  N"o.  1,  and  the  dead  rock  between 
No.  1  and  2  and  between  No.  2  and  3  is  from  four  to  five 
inches  thick.  These  four  distinct  veins  are  running  par- 
allel to  each  other.  It  is  the  general  opinion  of  practical 
miners  that  these  difierent  veins  at  a  greater  depth  will 
unite  into  one  solid  body  or  vein  of  from  sixteen  to  eight- 
een inches  in  thickness.  The  ley  of  the  ores  of  No.  1,  2, 
and  3,  according  to  the  last  operations  made  in  this  last 
month  of  May  in  the  common  Mexico  mode  of  "  benefi- 
cio"  (reduction),  was  twenty -four  ounces  of  auriferous 
silver  per  mule-load  of  300  lbs.  =  160  ounces  per  ton  of 


148  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

2000  lbs.  The  intrinsic  value  of  the  silver  of  the  Rayo 
Mine,  according  to  the  statement  of  the  government  as- 
sayer  of  the  district  Rayon,  was  lid.  gr.  2  silver,  100  gr. 
gold,  realizing  $11  per  marc  at  Jesus  Maria  prices.  The 
ore,  sample  marked  "El  Rayo,"  discovered  in  widening 
the  walls,  when  first  discovered  at  the  end  of  last  year, 
contained  more  silver  than  gold,  yielding  at  the  rate  of 
11500  silver  and  $100  gold  per  carga  of  300  lbs.;  after- 
ward it  changed  more  into  gold,  like  the  sample  marked 
"El  Rayo,"  of  which  fourteen  pounds  produced  $800  in 
gold,  which  is  at  the  rate  of  more  than  $100,000  per  ton 
of  2000  lbs.  Later  it  changed  again  into  its  former  state, 
as  when  first  met  with,  in  which  it  is  at  the  present  mo- 
ment. All  the  indications  are  that  the  present  is  its  nor- 
mal state,*  and  that  more  or  less  rich  pockets  of  gold  will 
be  found  at  uncertain  distances.  The  different  ores  of 
the  Rayo  Mine  are  docile  in  their  reduction,  undergoing 
the  common  Spanish  amalgamation  process.  The  Rayo 
Mine  offers  many  advantages:  being  near  the  top  of  a 
mountain  range,  from  300  to  400  varas  high  above  the 
creek,  there  is  no  j^robability  of  its  Avorking  being  inter- 
fered with  by  water  until  the  level  of  the  creek  has  been 
reached,  which  will  necessarily  take  many  years ;  while 
in  case  of  suffocation,  or  for  an  easier  mode  of  extracting 
the  ores,  tunnels  could  with  facility  be  run  into  the 
mountain  at  a  cost  of  from  $5000  to  $6000.  The  en- 
trance of  the  mine  being  on  an  almost  perpendicular  side 
of  the  mountain,  slides  could  easily  be  erected  —  timber 
being  abundant,  and  at  three  miles'  distance  from  it — ^so 
that  the  ore  and  dead  rock  would  be  j^laced  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  alongside  of  the  creek,  whence  it  is  hard- 
ly half  a  mile  to  the  hacienda  "  Quintana." 

II.  Santa  Margarita. — This  mine  is  situated  at  the 
Rosario,  about  three  miles  distant  from  Jesus  Maria,  and 
was  formerly  worked  by  Messrs.  Gutierrez,  Guereiia  &  Co. 


The  Mines  of  Jems  Maria  aoid  San  Jose.        149 

The  vein  is  steep,  slanting  from  one  half  to  one  vara  wide, 
its  gangue  being  lime-spath,  with  virgin  gold  of  960  m. 
ley  per  ton.  The  accompanying  sample  ores  are  fair 
average  ore.  The  vein  runs  from  east  to  west,  2°  in- 
clined north,  and  the  extent  of  its  possession  is  eight 
hmidred  varas.  The  mine  is  at  present  full  of  water,  on 
account  of  the  works  having  been  suspended  during  the 
last  two  years,  but  can  be  drained  with  a  "  malacate" 
(large  windlass  and  buckets  moved  by  horse  power)  in 
about  a  week,  as  has  been  done  on  several  previous  occa- 
sions, when  the  working  of  the  mine  had  been  temporari- 
ly suspended.  Once  drained,  and  working  only  in  day- 
time, the  water  which  collects  during  the  night  is  ex- 
tracted in  the  morning  in  the  course  of  an  hour  or  two. 

There  are  three  shafts,  the  deepest  seventy-one  varas 
deep,  a  connection  drift  of  fifteen  varas  between  two  of 
them,  and  another  drift  fifty  varas  long ;  besides  these,  an 
interior  drain  drift  has  been  commenced,  which  lacks  but 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  varas  to  reach  the  surface.  This 
drift  is  following  the  course  of  the  vein.  The  mine 
drained  and  in  its  present  state,  without  commencing  the 
construction  of  any  new  shafts  and  drifts,  there  is  room 
to  employ  at  once  sixteen  miners.  The  best  class  ore  ex- 
tracted during  the  week  has  always  paid  the  current  ex- 
penses, and  frequently  more;  thus  the  second  class  ore 
and  the  "  brosa"  (common  ore)  may  be  said  to  constitute 
the  profit.  The  common  ore  (brosa)  has  always  paid 
half  an  ounce  per  load  of  300  lbs. =$'72  per  ton  of  2000 
lbs. ;  the  second  class  ore  up  to  three  marcs  per  arroba 
of  25  lbs.  =  $25,960  per  ton  ;  and  the  best  ore  up  to  eight 
marcs  per  25  lbs.  arroba =171, 6 80  per  ton  of  2000  lbs., 
according  to  the  prices  obtained  for  this  gold  at  Jesus 
Maria,  where  it  sells  at  from  $12  to  $14  per  ounce,  though 
worth  more. 

The  working  of  "  Santa  Margarita"  has  several  times 


150  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

been  suspended  and  recommenced  ;  it  was  last  susj)ended 
two  years  ago.  The  only  cause  of  these  suspensions  has 
been  the  thieving  propensity  of  the  mining  population  of 
this  country,  and  the  great  difficulty  of  obtaining  trust- 
worthy people  to  oversee  the  operatives  and  servants; 
this  cause,  which  is  the  most  serious  drawback  to  the 
successful  working  of  very  rich  veins  in  this  country  by 
small  capitalists,  would,  however,  prove  no  hinderance  to 
a  company  of  large  means,  that  can  afford  to  import  men 
as  overseers  from  abroad,  or  that,  by  working  on  a  large 
scale,  can  afford  to  offer  such  salaries  to  their  employes 
as  would  induce  young  Mexicans  of  good  and  respectable 
character  and  connections  to  accept  such  employ. 

The  improvements  belonging  to  the  "  Santa  Margarita" 
Mine  consist  of  one  stone  building  of  two  rooms  and  ve- 
randa, in  order,  and  close  to  the  entrance  of  the  mine,  and 
a  "  malacate"  (lai'ge  horse  windlass),  which,  together  with 
its  roof  and  foundation  wall,  requires  some  repairs  if  its 
use  should  be  continued,  though  it  would  be  better  to  sub- 
stitute a  force-pump  and  steam-engine  for  the  extraction 
of  the  ores  and  water,  as  the  latter,  at  a  greater  depth, 
will  undoubtedly  increase,  tjie  works  of  the  mine  being 
already  below  the  level  of  the  water  of  the  adjoining 
brook.  An  outlay  of  from  $4000  to  |5000  would  place 
this  mine  in  working  condition,  if  the  malacate  use  should 
be  continued ;  with  force-pump  and  engiife  a  much  larger 
capital  would  be  required.  At  a  distance  of  about  half  a 
mile  from  this  mine  there  is  a  creek  that  has  sufficient 
water  to  drive  machinery  by  means  of  a  turbine,  if  it 
should  be  desirable  to  reduce  the  ores  near  to  the  mine, 
instead  of  taking  them  on  iflule-back  (the  only  practicable 
mode  of  transportation)  to  Jesus  Maria,  a  distance  of 
three  miles.  Water,  wood,  timber,  and  grass  are  plentiful 
and  close  to  the  mine ;  the  adjoining  and  surrounding 
lands  belong  to  the  state,  and  are  open  to  denouncement, 
consequently  can  be  easily  and  cheaply  obtained. 


The  Mines  of  Jesus  Maria  and  San  Jose.        151 

III.  San  Jose  del  Rosario. — This  gold  mine  is  adjoin- 
ing the  Santa  Margarita  Mine,  and  by  many  supposed  to 
be  the  same  vein.  The  vein  is  almost  .perpendicular,  and 
from  half  to  one  vara  wide.  There  are  several  shafts  and 
drifts,  the  deepest  about  sixty  varas  deep,  but  these  are 
mostly  filled  up  with  rubbish,  ofial  ore,  dead  rock,  and  rain 
water.  It  has  two  drain  tunnels,  and  admits  of  the  for- 
mation of  others,  the  construction  of  one  of  which  would 
not  exceed  the  sum  of  ^6000  expenses.  The  best  and  sec- 
ond class  ore  pays  a  similar  ley  as  that  of  "  Santa  Marga- 
rita," while  the  broza  (common  and  inferior  ley)  pays  from 
three  to  four  dollars  per  load  of  300  lbs.,  and  the  "  polvil- 
los"  (heavy  residue  of  the  ground  and  washed  ore)  pays 
six  ounces  "  zaroche,"  at  $6  the  ounce,  to  the  twenty-five 
pound  arroba.  (Zaroche  is  the  Mexican  name  for  gold  of 
low  color,  containing  silver.)  In  the  deepest  shaft  silver- 
bearing  ore  has  already  been  met  with,  an  indication  that 
this  ore,  like  most  of  the  auriferous  ores  of  this  region, 
will  change  into  silver  w^hen  a  greater  depth  has  been 
reached.  The  proceeds  of  this  mine  obtained  by  the  first 
owners  were  so  great,  that  once  one  load  of  three  hundred 
pounds  realized  $10,000. 

The  mine,  discovered  in  the  beginning  of  this  century, 
was  first  worked  by  Messrs.  Zuza  and  Lumbier ;  and  it  is 
but  just  to  mention  that  the  heaviest  capital  of  the  State 
of  Chihuahua,  which  is  that  of  Mr.  Jose  Cordero,  son-in- 
law  of  the  late  Mr.  Zuza,  and  which  amounts  to  several 
millions,  owes  its  origin  to  this  mine.  Later,  the  mine 
has  been  worked  by  Mr.  Ferdinand  Altario.  The  princi- 
pal reasons  of  its  having  been  abandoned  were  the  dim- 
inution of  the  ley  ;  the  depth  of  the  mine,  which,  although 
not  considerable,  proved  an  impediment  to  men  defi- 
cient in  all  knowledge  of  useful  and  scientific  contrivan- 
ces, and  far  removed  from  all  necessary  resources;  but 
principally  the  discovery  of  the  neighboring  "  Santa  Mar- 


152  Arizona  and  Soiiora. 

garita"  vein  with  its  magnificent  ores,  and  the  discovery 
of  the  "  bonanza"  (extremely  rich  ores)  in  the  "  Santa  Ju- 
liana" Mine  in  1824  and  1825.  Since  that  time  the  mine 
has  been  occasionally  worked  by  gambussinos,  who,  ac- 
cording to  their  lazy  and  negligent  way  of  working,  soon 
filled  up  the  mine  with  dead  rock,  which  they  were  too 
indolent  to  carry  out.  The  mine,  it  is  asserted  by  all  who 
know  it,  is  still  in  good  ore,  and  can  be  drained  and 
cleaned  with  a  malacate  in  the  course  of  a  month  or  two, 
employing  from  ten  to  twelve  men ;  once  free  and  clean, 
it  will  admit  of  a  good  number  of  miners  being  advanta- 
geously employed.  The  extent  of  possession  of  San  Jose 
del  Rosario  is  800  varas.  There  are  no  improvements 
belonging  to  the  mine ;  otherwise  it  possesses  the  same 
local  advantages  as  the  Santa  Margarita  Mine.  No  sam- 
ples. 

IV.  Cayidelaria. — This  mine  is  situated  about  one  and 
a  half  or  two  miles  from  the  town  of  Jesus  Maria ;  the 
vein  is  almost  perpendicular,  and  from  one  to  one  and  a 
half  feet  wide.  The  deepest  shaft  is  about  ninety  varas. 
The  vein  has  been  steadily  and  gradually  increasing,  a  sure 
indication  of  its  present  character.  The  ore  is  very  hard, 
but  docile  in  the  amalgamation  process.  The  lowest  yield 
has  never  been  less  than  $48  in  gold  and  silver  per  load 
of  300  lbs.=:|320  per  ton  of  2000  lbs.,  though  it  is  gener- 
ally much  more,  some  ore  having  assayed  as  high  as  $3243 
per  ton  of  2000  lbs.  The  gold  of  this  mine  sells  at  Jesus 
Maria  at  |10  the  ounce.  The  samples  of  ore  marked 
"  Candelaria,  Jesus  Maria,"  are  good  class  ore ;  the  others, 
N"os.  4  and  5,  common  ore  (broza).  In  the  bottom  of  the 
mine  there  is  a  drift  in  ore  twenty. varas  long,  where 
twenty-five  miners  can  easily  work  at  one  and  the  same 
time,  thus  allowing  seventy-five  miners  to  be  employed 
during  the  twenty-four  hours,  without  opening  new  shafts 
and  drifts. 


The  Mines  of  Jesus  Maria  and  Ban  Jose.         153 

Candelaria  was  last  worked  by  Mr.  J.  Quintana,  who 
suspended  the  working  of  it  some  years  ago  while  erect- 
ing machinery  for  the  reduction  of  ores.  In  this  he  ex- 
pended his  capital,  and  when  ready  to  recommence  oper- 
ations in  the  mine,  he  found  that  the  gambussinos,  having 
undermined  the  foundation  walls  of  the  malacate  in  order 
to  get  at  the  offal  ore  of  the  "  terrero,"  had  destroyed  the 
strength  and  safety  «f  it,  and  that  it  consequently  was  risk- 
ing the  lives  of  servants  and  animals  to  make  use  of  it 
without  rebuilding  it.  Indeed,  shortly  after  the  whole 
concern  came  down  from  the  effects  of  a  rain-storm.  Be- 
ing without  the  necessary  resources  to  defray  its  recon- 
struction, and  unwilling  to  involve  himself  in  debt,  the 
mining  operations  of  Candelaria  remained  suspended,  and 
as  Mr.  Quintana  very  shortly  after  died,  the  mine  was 
abandoned,  and  has  remained  in  that  state  for  the  last  few 
years,  for  the  want  of  men  of  enterprise  and  capital.  The 
mine,  being  on  the' top  of  a  mountain  range  some  four 
hundred  varas  high  above  the  creek,  has  but  little  inher- 
ent water  as  yet,  but  is  full  of  rain  water ;  it  admits  of 
drain  tunnels  being  made,  which  may  cost  from  $6000  to 
110,000,  and  requires  the  reconstruction  of  a  foundation 
wall  for  a  malacate,  which,  together  with  the  clearing  of 
the  mine,  would  probably  cost  some  $5000.  The  posses- 
sion contains  some  eight  hundred  varas. 

Y.  Ban  Rafael. — This  mine  is  distant  three  quarters 
of  a  mile  from  the  town  of  Jesus  Maria,  and  was  worked 
first  after  its  discovery  by  Messrs.  Andrew  Reducich  and 
Joseph  Lopez  until  the  year  1839,  when  the  working  was 
susp'ended  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  the  former. 
Some  years  later  the  mine  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Messrs.  R.  Jaquez,  I.  Parada,  and  E.  Yidal,  who  worked 
it  until  1861,  when  Mr.  Ramon  Andreu  rented  the  mine 
for  two  years;  the  latter  stopped  Avorking  it  on  account 
of  some  difficulties  he  had  with  the  owners.     The  vein  is 

G2 


154  Arizona  and  iSonora. 

nearly  perpendicular,  running  from  south  to  north,  with 
an  inclination  of  from  15°  to  20°  east,  and  is  about  one  and 
a  half  feet  wide  on  the  average.  In  the  bottom  of  the 
lowest  shaft,  which  is  about  fifty-five  to  sixty  varas  deep, 
two  drifts  have  been  commenced ;  in  one  of  them  the  vein 
is  scattered,  but  in  the  other  compact,  with  very  fair  in- 
dications of  its  changing  into  a  large  vein.  Since  Mr. 
Andreu  abandoned  the  working  of  t!fe  mine,  the  gambus- 
sinos  have  destroyed  and  filled  up  with  rubbish  the  shafts 
from  the  main  entrance  to  a  depth  of  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  varas,  where  there  is  the  first  drift,  Avhence 
two  other  shafts  of  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  varas  depth, 
with  their  respective  drifts,  have  not  been  touched  by  the 
"  gambussiuos,"  on  account  of  having  filled  with  rain 
water  shortly  after  the  suspension  of  the  work  by  Mr. 
Andreu. 

From  the  entrance  of  the  mine  to  within  five  varas  of 
the  lowest  depth  as  yet  reached,  the  vein  has  been  more 
or  less  scattered,  not  having  any  decided  compactness ; 
but  in  the  last  shaft,  sunk  from  the  bottom  drift,  the  vein 
has  become  compact.  There  are  no  samjDle  ores  extant, 
and  can  not  be  obtained  without  first  cleaning  the  mine; 
but  the  gold  is  soft,  and  docile  in  the  amalgamation  pro- 
cess ;  the  lowest  ley  has  never  been  less  than  one  marc  per 
load  of  300  lbs. ;  the  "  polvillos"  paying  from  two  to  three 
marcs  silver  per  25  lbs.  arroba,  consequently  the  lowest 
ley  has  never  been  less  than  $110  per  ton  of  2000  lbs.  at 
the  price  of  silver  at  Jesus  Maria,  and  this  silver,  being 
auriferous,  there  reahzed  |16  per  marc.  The  mine  "San 
Rafael"  has  always  paid  a  profit;  it  can  be  drained  of  the 
rain  water  in  the  Mexican  fashion,  with  common  hand- 
pumps  ;  but  if  a  malacate  should  be  used  the  shafts  would 
require  straightening,  as  the  mine  has  been  worked  in  the 
"patio  y  patillo"  fashion.  The  mine  is  on  the  top  of  the 
western  range  of  mountains,  some  four  hundred  varas 


1  lie  Mm  es  of  Jesus  Maria  and  San  Jose.        155 

high,  and  admits  the  construction  of  drain  tunnels,  which 
would  have  to  be  somewhere  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
varas  in  length,  and  such  tunnel  in  all  probability,  nay, 
certainly,  would  cross  other  veins  running  in  the  same  di- 
rection, and  which,  where  worked,  have  given  very  good 
results.  The  extent  of  possession  of  "  San  Kafael"  is  like- 
wise eight  hundred  varas. 

YI.  Hacienda  QuintoMa. — This  establishment  for  the 
reduction  and  amalgamation  of  ores  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  the  mining  town  Jesus  Maria,  and  consists  of 
three  stamps  and  eight  arrastras,  all  the  machinery  of 
which  is  moved  by  an  overshot  wheel  thirty-three  feet  in 
diameter,  and  reduces  three  and  a  half  tons  of  ore  per 
twenty-four  hours.  It  contains  all  the  required  adjuncts, 
is  in  good  order  and  in  daily  use,  and  is  fed  by  the  creek 
of  Jesus  Maria,  which  generally  has  water  enough  for 
the  use  of  machinery  in  the  different  establishments  ten 
months  in  the  year,  and  in  many  years  all  the  year  round. 

General  Notes. — The  mining  town  of  Jesus  Maria,  sit- 
uated in  the  Sierra  Madre,  at  a  distance  of  about  250  miles 
from  the  ports  of  Agiabampo  and  Guaymas,  on  the  Gulf 
of  California,  and  about  200  miles  from  the  city  of  Chi- 
huahua, has  never  been  affected  by  the  several  revolu- 
tions which  have  occurred  in  the  states  of  Chihuahua  and 
Sonora,  and  which  in  the  former  state  are  of  a  rather  in- 
nocent nature;  nor  is  this  region  exposed  to  the  depre- 
dations of  the  Camanche  and  Apache  Indians,  who  infest 
other  parts  of  the  two  mentioned  states ;  it  offers,  there- 
fore, by  its  favored  situation  in  the  heart  of  lofty  mount- 
ain ranges,  security  to  mining  enterprise.  The  neighbor- 
hood of  Jesus  Maria  is  famous  for  the  abundance  and 
richness  of  its  metallic  veins.  Most  of  them,  although 
they  have  been  more  or  less  worked,  may  be  said  to  be 
virgin  yet,  hardly  having  been  worked  to  a  greater  depth 
than  100  varas  at  most.     The  only  exception  to  this  is  the 


156  Arizojia  and  Soiiora. 

mine  of  Santa  Juliana,  which  has  been  worked  to  a  depth 
of  400  varas,  and  been  abandoned  on  account  of  its  abund- 
ance of  water.  Almost  all  the  ores  of  this  region,  al- 
though in  most  of  them  silver  forms  the  principal  ingre- 
dient, are  more  or  less  auriferous,  so  that  its  silver  com- 
mands a  higher  market  value  than  usual.  The  ores  are 
likewise  docile  in  their  reduction,  and  undergo  the  amal- 
gamation process. 

The  town  of  Jesus  Maria  is  some  5000  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  enjoys  a  temperate,  dehghtful,  and  healthy  cli- 
mate ;  its  population  is  estimated  at  3000.  Being  not  far 
removed — fifty  to  a  hundred  miles — from  the  different 
agricultural  villages  of  the  district  of  Concepcion,  provi- 
sions are  much  cheaper  in  this  than  in  most  other  mining 
towns,  and  owing  to  the  abundance  of  mines  formerly  ex- 
tensively worked,  there  is  a  numerous  body  of  operatives 
to  facilitate  the  undertaking  of  extensive  enterprises. 
Timber  and  fuel  are  abundant,  and  at  no  great  distance 
from  town — the  former  mostly  pine  and  oak ;  the  creek  of 
Jesus  Maria  having  sufiicient  water  for  the  use  of  ma- 
chinery ten  months  in  the  year,  and  often  the  whole  year 
round,  although  all  the  available  spots  for  the  application 
of  water  power  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  are  already 
private  property,  and  built  up  with  haciendas.  Some  of 
these,  however,  could  be  purchased  at  reasonable  prices, 
as,  for  instance,  the  haciendas  "Guadalupe"  and  "Car- 
men," both  together  having  nine  stamps  and  twenty  ar- 
rastras,  formerly  belonging  to  Messrs.  Lopez  and  Valois. 
.  Common  miners  earn  $1  per  task,  working  overseers 
from  $10  to  $12  per  week,  and  all  other  servants  four 
reals  —  two  shillings  sterling  per  day  —  payable  half  in 
goods,  half  in  money.  Salt  is  generally  worth  $12  per 
fanega  of  300  lbs. ;  quicksilver  from  $45  to  $50  per  flask 
of  75  lbs. ;  maize,  $1  75  to  $2  25  the  fanega  of  220  lbs. ; 
wheat,  $3  the  fanega;  beeves,  from  $10  to  $20  per  head, 


The  Mines  of  Jesus  Maria  and  San  Jose.        157 

averaging  from  350  to  500  lbs.  gross  weight;  grass  fod- 
der, 50  cts.  per  load  of  225  lbs.  Freight  from  Agiabam- 
po  to  Jesus  Maria,  $12  to  |14  per  mule-load  of  300  lbs. 
There  is  an  "  oficina  de  quintar"  (metal  stamp  and  assay 
office)  established  by  government  at  Jesus  Maria,  where 
gold  and  silver  receives  the  stamp  of  currency.  Although 
for  the  last  years  no  mine  has  been  regularly  worked,  in 
this  stamp  and  assay  office  have  been  monthly  stamped 
above  $11,500  for  the  last  three  years,  the  produce  of  the 
work  of  "  gambussinos ;"  and  when  it  is  taken  into  con- 
sideration that  at  least  one  third  of  the  gold  and  silver 
of  the  country  never  receives  the  stamp,  an  annual  pro- 
duction of  $150,000  to  $200,000  by  petty  miners  alone 
should  go  far  to  prove  the  richness  of  the  neglected  mines 
of  this  district  or  town  of  Jesus  Maria ;  for  if  the  worst 
mining  style,  or  no  style  at  all,^can  produce  such  a  result, 
what  may  not  well-directed  energy  and  capital  effect  in 
this  yet  virgin  field  ? 


158  Arizona  and  Sionora, 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MINERALOGICAL  SKETCH  OF  ARIZONA.* 

Limits  of  Arizona. — Topography. — Geological  Structure. — Character 
of  the  Vegetation. — The  Plains. — The  Table-lands. — Rivers,  Fount- 
ains, and  Wells. — Arable  and  grazing  Land. — Part  of  the  great 
Mineral  Region. — The  Heintzelman  Mine. — Character  of  the  Ores. 
—Their  Order  of  Deposit. — Processes  of  Reduction. — Defects  in  the 
Processes. — Wages  and  other  Expenses. — Results,  actual  and  pros- 
pective.—  The  Plain  of  Arivaca.  —  Santa  Rita  Mines. — Cahuabi 
Mines. — The  San  Pedro  Mines. — Lead  Mines. — The  Mowry  Silver 
Mines. — Various  Mines  and  Ores. — Plancha  de  la  Plata. — General 
Conclusions. 

■X 

Arizona  proper,  or  the  Gadsden  Purchase,  is  that  part 
of  our  frontier  which  has  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  Colo- 
rado Rivers  for  its  eastern  and  western,  and  the  Gila 
River  and  Mexican  boundary-line  for  its  northern  and 
southern  limits.  It  thus  extends  over  both  slopes  of  the 
Sierra  Madre,  which  here  loses  its  continuous  character, 
giving  rise  to  almost  unconnected  mountain  groups.  It 
is  also  traversed  from  N.W.  to  S.E.  by  granitic  sierras 
seldom  over  seventy  to  ninety  miles  in  length,  and  distant 
from  each  other  from  twenty  to  forty  miles.  This  con- 
figuration gives  rise  to  a  most  remarkable  occurrence  of 
parallelism. 

The  intervals  between  these  ranges  are  plains,  having 
a  gradual  descent  from  the  sierras  on  either  side.  In  the 
western  part  of  the  Territory,  where  but  little  rain  falls, 

*  Mineralogical  Sketch  of  the  Silver  Mines  of  Arizona^  read  before 
the  California  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  August  5,  1861,  by  K. 
PuMPELLY,  Esq.,  Metallurgist  and  Mining  Engin^r,  Graduate  of  the; 
Mining  College  at  Freiberg,  etc.,  etc.  PublishccPki  the  Proceedings 
of  the  Academv,  vol.  ii.,  18G2. 


Mineralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona,  159 

water-courses  are  very  rare,  and  the  surface  of  these  tracts 
is  almost  unbroken ;  but  in  the  central  portion,  near  the 
larger  mountains,  they  present  the  appearance  of  exten- 
sive valleys,  and  are  cut  up  by  river  beds  and  frequent 
tributary  canons.  These  plains  are  all  connected,  and 
form  members  of  the  immense  quaternary  deposits,  ex- 
tending from  the  Gulf  of  California  eastward. 

The  quaternary  formation  is  stratified,  and  composed 
of  both  rounded  and  angular  rocks,  w^ith  pebbles  and 
sand,  the  detritus  of  the  neighboring  mountains  and  the 
underlying  formations.  A  gradual  and  regular  descent 
of  the  surface  of  the  whole  quaternary  area  toward  the 
Gulf  of  California  and  the  Colorado  River  is  perceptible, 
showing  that  there  has  been  a  gradual  elevation  extend- 
ing over  a  large  area,  and  probably  during  a  long  lapse 
of  time.  That  this  upheaval  is  of  very  recent  date  is 
proven  by  the  presence  of  existing  species  of  marine 
shells  scattered  over  the  surface. 

As  I  have  already  said,  the  majority  of  the  mountain 
ranges  are  granitic,  but  we  find  in  many  places,  and  es- 
pecially those  where  the  parallelism  is  disturbed,  exten- 
sive representations  of  other  formations.  Usually,  out- 
croppings  of  gneiss,  micaceous,  talcose,  and  clay  slates  are 
observable,  underlying  the  quaternary  at  the  base  of  the 
granitic  ranges.  In  many  places  the  plains  consist  entire- 
ly of  the  detritus  of  these  rocks,  showing  that  they  ex- 
tend from  mountain  to  mountain.  Toward  the  Gulf  of 
California  these  slates  are  accompanied  by  metamorphic 
limestone,  and  often  appear  forming  independent  ridges, 
or  inclined  against  the  higher  granite  hills.  They  form 
the  gold  region  of  Sonora,  and  are  probably  of  the  same 
age  as  the  similar-  formations  of  California,  of  which,  in- 
deed, they  seem  to  be  the  continuation.  We  find  them 
rising  out  of  the  desert,  at  intervals,  from  Sonora  to  the 
Gila  River  and  the  Colorado,  and  again  underlying  the 


160  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

tertiary  on  the  western  skirt  of  the  Colorado  desert,  and 
at  various  points  in  Southern  California. 

Near  the  coast,  and  traversed  by  the  boundary-line,  is 
a  very  interesting  volcanic  formation.  The  country  is 
studded  over  with  volcanic  cones,  some  containing  cra- 
ters ;  immense  streams  of  lava  cross  the  desert,  or  cover, 
as  with  a  mantle,  high  granite  hills. 

The  next  formation  of  importance  is  that  of  the  strati- 
fied conglomerates.  These  occur  in  strata  of  very  varia- 
ble thickness  and  texture,  but  all  are  composed  for  the 
most  part  of  fragments  of  quartziferous  porphyry,  ce- 
mented by  a  feldspathic  mass,  also  quartziferous.  This 
formation  is  traversed  by  intrusive  dikes  of  a  porphyry 
of  a  similar  character  to  many  of  the  fragments  inclosed 
in  the  conglomerates. 

There  is  also  a  great  variety  of  porphyries,  both  quartz- 
iferous and  free  from  quartz,  and  these  are  the  rocks 
which  for  the  most  part  stand  in  the  closest  connection 
with  the  veins  of  the  country.  Many  of  these  porphyries 
appear  to  be  the  result  of  metamorphic  action  in  sedi- 
mentary rocks,  but  others  have  every  characteristic  of  an 
eruptive  origin. 

Lastly,  dikes  of  a  trachytic  porphyry  and  of  a  cellular 
black  rock,  usually  in  connection  with  a  reddish  wacke 
and  a  sandstone,  are  observable  at  various  points  through 
the  country. 

Climatic  influences  have  given  the  country  a  marked 
and  peculiar  character  of  vegetation.  Toward  the  coast 
the  plains  are  barren  and  arid  deserts,  and  the  traveler 
may  ride  hundreds  of  miles  without  seeing  other  plants 
than  dry  and  thorny  cacti  and  scattered  bushes  of  grease- 
wood.  The  granite  mountains  bordering  these  deserts 
are  even  more  barren.  Not  a  tree,  nor  even  a  cactus, 
can  be  seen  on  their  sides.  They  tower  high  above  the 
plains,  great  masses  of  white,  reflecting  the  rays  of  the 


Mmeralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona,  161 

sun  with  dazzling  brilliancy.  The  only  water  to  be  found 
over  an  area  of  many  thousand  miles  is  at  a  few  points  in 
the  mountains,  where  the  rains  have  collected  in  natural 
tanks  sufficient  to  last  for  a  few  months.  During  the 
rainy  season,  which  often  nearly  fails,  shallow  pools  are 
formed  in  slight  depressions  on  the  surface,  but  a  few 
days'  sun  is  sufficient  to  exhaust  these  sources. 

Farther  from  the  coast  the  plains  begin  to  show  more 
vegetation;  gradually  appear  the  palo  verde,  the  mes- 
quit,  and  a  greater  variety  of  cacti,  and  on  the  hills  scat- 
tered saguaras  {Cereus  giganteus) ;  until,  in  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  Papagoria,  the  country  is  more  thickly  cov- 
ered with  a  low  growth  of  mesquit  and  palo  verde  brush, 
above  which  looms  a  perfect  forest  of  the  columnar  sa- 
guara. 

East  of  the  Baboquiveri  range  the  character  of  the 
country  changes ;  the  plains  are  cut  in  the  direction  of 
the  longer  axis  by  deep  valleys,  receiving  tributary  ca- 
nons from  the  mountains  on  either  side,  and  all  that  re- 
mains to  show  their  original  character  are  the  cut -up 
mesas  or  table-lands,  lying  between  the  river  and  the  si- 
erras. These  mesas  retain,  indeed,  much  of  the  desert 
appearance,  but  they  are  clothed  with  bunch  and  gram- 
ma grass,  and  scattered  mesquit  bushes.  Many  of  the 
valleys  have  an  extensive  growth  of  mesquit,  and  along 
the  river  beds  in  the  neighborhood  of  hidden  or  running 
water  grow  large  cottonwood  trees,  and  in  some  places 
fine  ash  timber.  On  the  hill-sides,  above  the  level  of  the 
mesas,  are  scattered  the  live  oak  of  the  country,  the  trees 
varying  from  twelve  to  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  giving 
the  country  the  appearance  of  an  old  orchard.  As  we 
ascend  the  mountains,  the  oaks  are  mingled  with  the  ce- 
dar, until,  at  an  elevation  of  about  6000  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  the  pine  region  commences. 

Owing  to  the  peculiar   structure   of  the  river  beds. 


1G2  Arizona  cmd  Soiiora. 

wliich  run  through  loose  quaternary  deposits,  the  water 
felling  during  the  rainy  season  soon  sinks  out  of  sight 
and  follows  its  course  underground,  ajtipearing  only  where 
the  underlying  older  formations  rise,  or  where  the  valley 
is  crossed  by  a  dike,  in  either  case  natural  dams  being 
formed.  These  occurrences  are  sometimes  of  sufficient 
extent  to  form  running  streams  for  several  miles,  although 
usually  either  only  a  spring  is  formed,  or  more  frequently 
water  is  obtained  by  digging. 

These  valleys  of  Central  Arizona,  as  well  as  the  mesas 
and  hill-sides,  are  covered  with  an  abundant  growth  of 
different  grasses,  forming  extensive  tracts  of  grazing 
country.  There  are  not  many  localities  suitable  for  cul- 
tivation, these  being  confined  to  such  places  as  have  run- 
ning water  for  a  considerable  distance,  which  can  be  con- 
ducted in  canals  for  irrigation. 

Arizona  forms  a  link  in  the  great  chain  of  mining  re- 
gions that  stretches  along  the  western  side  of  the  conti- 
nent. Though  but  a  small  portion  of  the  country,  has 
been  explored,  yet  between  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  Col- 
orado numerous  districts  of  great  mineral  wealth  have 
been  discovered,  and  on  some  of  them  more  or  less  labor 
expended.  The  Mexicans  have,  at  various  times  since 
the  middle  of  the  last  century,  commenced  workings  on 
a  great  number  of  veins,  but,  owing  to  the  continued  in- 
roads of  the  Apaches,  but  little  was  accomplished  by 
them. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  Gadsden  treaty,  Messrs. 
Poston  and  Ehrenberg,  with  a  small  party,  entered  the 
country,  and,  after  prospecting  a  large  number  of  locali- 
ties, found  the  Heintzelman  vein.  The  results  of  an  ex- 
amination of  this  proved  so  satisfactory,  that  considerable 
attention  was  drawn  toward  that  part  of  New  Mexico. 
Joint- stock  companies,  with  little  ready  capital  and  im- 
mense expectations,  were  formed.     Speculators  bought  in 


Mineralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona.  1G3 

stock  for  ten  per  cent,  of  its*  nominal  value,  and  sold  out 
at  from  fifty  per  cent,  to  ninety  per  cent,  to  tradesmen 
and  widows,  too  poor  to  meet  assessments  when  means 
for  working  were  absolutely  necessary.  Men  Avere  put 
in  charge  who  had  never  seen  a  mine,  and  usually  with 
no  professional  assistance.  The  results  of  enterprises  con- 
ducted in  a  similar  manner  are  well  known.  Between 
the  absence  of  available  funds  on  the  one  hand,  and  of 
protection  to  life  and  property  on  the  other,  enterprise 
was  already  beginning  to  stagnate,  when  the  withdrawal 
of  the  troops  made  the  abandonment  of  the  country  ab- 
solutely necessary. 

The  most  important  of  the  mines  already  known  and 
worked  is  the  Heintzelman,  or  Cerro  Colorado^  belonging 
to  the  Sonora  Mining  Company.  It  is  situated  west  of 
Tubac,  about  twenty-four  miles  by  road.  The  vein  runs 
north  and  south,  has  a  nearly  vertical  dip,  and  is  inclosed 
in  a  brown  porphyry,  free  from  quartz,  and  containing  ill- 
defined  crystals  of  feldspar.  The  thickness  of  the  lode  is 
from  twelve  to  twenty  inches.  A  vertical  main  shaft  has 
been  commenced,  with  the  expectation  of  intersecting  the 
vein  at  a  depth  of  200  feet,  but  it  is  only  completed  to 
about  120  feet.  This  shaft  communicates  by  cross-cuts, 
at  60  and  100  feet,  with  two  galleries. 

The  ore  is  separated  by  hand  into  two  classes,  rendered 
necessary  by  the  difference  in  their  chemical  character 
and  in  their  richness  in  silver.  The  first  class  consists  of 
the  more  massive  and  richer  ore,  composed  of  Stromey- 
erite,  tetrahedrite,  blende,  and  galena,  with  native  silver ; 
the  gangue  is  quartz,  with  some  barytes,  and  the  carbon- 
ates of  magnesia  and  lime.  The  blende  and  galena  are  so 
predominant  in  this  class  as  to  render  the  ore  unfit  for 
amalgamation,  while  the  percentage  of  silver  in  the  Stro- 
meyerite  is  too  groat  to  allow  of  its  being  treated  profita- 
bly in  the  barrels.     This  class  represents  about  ten  per 


164  Arizona  and  Soiiora. 

ceDt.  of  the  entire  amount  of  ore,  and  the  average  of  its 
yield  of  silver,  calculated  on  the  entire  amount  smelted, 
is  nearly  $1000  to  the  ton  of  2000  pounds,  while  the 
amount  contained  is  about  fifteen  per  cent.  more. 

The  second  class  contains  the  same  minerals  as  the  first, 
but  they  are  more  intimately  associated  with  the  gangue, 
which  in  this  class  forms  the  bulk  of  the  ore.  The  blende 
and  galena  have  a  moderate  percentage  of  silver  (thirty 
to  fifty  ounces),  while  the  tetrahedrite  {Fahlerz^  or  gray 
copper  ore)  varies  from  one  to  one  and  a  half  per  cent., 
and  the  Stromeyerite  is  said  to  rise  as  high  as  twenty-six 
per  cent.  Chlorobromide  of  silver  and  native  copper 
have  occurred,  and  native  silver  in  small  flakes  is  fre- 
quent. Two  varieties  of  quartz  are  found,  one  in  the 
ordinary  glassy  form,  often  comby ;  and  an  opaque  white 
variety,  very  brittle,  and  associated  with  the  richer  min- 
erals. Crystallized  specimens  are  very  rare,  and  of  the 
copper  silver  glance  none  have  been  observed. 

I  have  observed  the  following  well-defined  paragenetic 
successions  occurring  in  cavities : 

a.  1,  quartz  ;  2,  brown  spar  ;  3,  scalenohedral  calcite. 
6.  1,  brown  spar;  2,  barytes  ;  3,  scalenohedral  calcite. 

c.  1,  quartz;  2,  galena;  3,  quartz. 

d.  1,  quartz;  2,  blende;  3,  calcite. 

e.  1,  quartz;  2,  blende;  3,  rhombohedral  calcite;  4,  native  silver; 

5,  scalenohedral  calcite. 
f.  1,  quartz  ;  2,  brown  spar ;  3,  barytes ;  4,  native  silver. 

From  this  it  will  appear  that  the  general  succession  in 
age  is,  1st,  quartz;  2d,  brown  spar;  3d,  blende,  barytes ; 
4th,  calcite ;  5th,  native  silver ;  6th,  scalenohedral  calcite. 
From  this  list  the  relative  ages  of  blende  and  barytes  do 
not  appear. 

Galena,  blende,  and  tetrahedrite  are  usually  closely  as- 
sociated with  each  other  in  this  ore,  while  the  argentifer- 
ous sulphuret  of  copper  is  entirely  independent  of  them, 
but  is,  at  times,  mixed  with  eriibescite.     Native  silver  oc- 


Mineralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona.  165 

curs  in  the  common  filigree  form  in  cavities  in  the  argen- 
tiferous copper  glance,  and  is  often  observable  in  minute 
specks  on  the  tarnished  surface  of  blende  and  tetrahedrite. 

The  reduction  Avorks  are  on  the  Arivaca  ranch,  eight 
jniles  distant  from  the  mine,  and  connected  with  it  by  an 
excellent  road.  The  process  used  is  the  European  barrel 
amalgamation  for  argentiferous  copper  ores,  and  was  in- 
troduced by  Mr.  Ktistel,  a  German  metallurgist,  about 
three  years  since.  The  extent  of  the  works  is  very  small, 
permitting  of  the  treatment  of  about  one  and  a  half  tons 
a  day.  Six  dry  stamps,  a  steam  arrastra,  one  reverbera- 
tory  roasting  furnace,  four  barrels,  a  retort,  and  one  re- 
fining furnace,  together  with  a  ten-horse  power  engine, 
constitute  the  works. 

The  second  class  ore,  after  being  coarse  stamped,  is  re- 
moved to  the  arrastra,  which  is  capable  of  grinding  one 
ton  per  day  to  the  necessary  fineness.  The  resulting 
slime,  after  drying,  is  pounded  and  sifted.  Five  hundred 
pounds  of  the  ore,  after  being  mixed  with  from  eight  to 
ten  per  cent,  of  salt,  are  subjected  to  the  chloridizing 
roasting  for  about  four  hours.  About  one  half  hour  be- 
fore withdrawing  the  charge,  two  per  cent,  of  unburnt 
limestone  is  added  to  reduce  the  bichloride  of  copper  to 
protochloride.  In  this  manner,  six  roastings  are  made  in 
twenty-four  hours.  The  barrels  are  charged  with  1000 
pounds  of  the  roasted  ore,  100  pounds  metalHc  copper  in 
metallic  balls,  and  144  pounds  of  water.  After  revolving 
two  hours,  to  effect  the  partial  reduction  of  salts  injurious 
to  the  mercury  by  the  copper,  500  pounds  of  quicksilver 
are  added. 

After  revolving  twenty-four  hours  in  all,  including  the 
second  watering  to  collect  the  disseminated  globules  of 
quicksilver,  the  whole  is  withdrawn,  and  the  amalgam 
separated  and  retorted.  The  resulting  silver  is  simply 
melted  in  a  small  reverberatory  refining  furnace,  with  the 


166  Arizona  and  Bonora, 

addition  of  a  little  borax,  and  cast  in  bars  of  different 
sizes,  having  a  fineness  of  0.990  to  0.998.  In  the  absence 
of  coin,  these  are  used  as  a  circulating  medium,  and  find 
their  way  to  Sonora,  and  ultimately  to  England. 

The  defects  of  this  j^rocess,  as  applied  at  Arivaca,  are 
very  great,  and  are  attributable  in  part  to  the  character 
of  the  ores  and  absence  of  some  facilities.  The  roasting 
is  performed  too  hurriedly,  and  the  roving  character  of  the 
Mexicans  renders  it  very  difficult  to  make  them  good 
workmen  at  the  furnace,  where  so  delicate  a  process,  re- 
quiring long  jDractice,  is  to  be  well  executed.  The  per- 
centage of  sulphur  in  the  ore  subjected  to  this  operation 
is  so  very  low,  that  the  decomposition  of  the  salt  must  be 
imperfect,  causing  inordinate  loss  of  this  material,  which 
is  very  expensive.  Owing  to  the  small  amount  of  lime 
added  during  the  roasting  there  can  not  but  be  an  unnec- 
essarily large  loss  of  quicksilver.  The  loss  of  silver  is 
said  to  be  from  twenty  to  thirty  per  cent.,  which  destroys 
the  main  advantage  of  the  European  barrel  process  over 
the  cheaper  Mexican  amalgamation ;  but,  by  more  care- 
fully meeting  the  requirements  of  the  method,  this  loss 
could  probably  be  reduced  to  at  least  ten  per  cent.  These 
works  were  erected  for  temporary  use,  and,  consequently, 
the  amount  of  manual  labor  is  more  than  double  that 
which  is  necessary. 

The  workmen  at  the  furnace  receive  one  dollar  per 
day  of  twelve  hours ;  Mexican  laborers  twelve  to  fifteen 
dollars  per  month,  and  to  each  man  a  ration  of  sixteen 
pounds  of  flour  per  week.  American  laborers  are  paid 
from  thirty  to  seventy  dollars  per  month  and  boarded. 
The  cost  of  salt  which  is  brought  from  near  the  coast,  is 
four  cents  per  pound ;  of  copper,  twenty-five  cents  per 
pound ;  and  wood,  from  four  to  six  dollars  per  cord,  de- 
livered at  the  furnace.  The  price  of  quicksilver  is  one 
dollar  per  pound. 


Mineralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona.  167 

The  first-class  ore  was  formerly  smelted  at  the  mine  in 
Castilian  furnaces,  with  the  addition  of  an  ore  of  sulphide 
and  carbonate  of  lead,  litharge,  and  iron  ore.  The  loss 
of  silver  Avas  from  fifteen  to  twenty  per  cent.,  and  the 
cost  of  extracting  that  metal  about  sixty  dollars  per  ton 
of  ore.  The  yield,  as  before  stated,  was  nearly  $1000  to 
the  ton. 

From  the  results  obtained  in  1859  on  160  tons  of  amal- 
gamated ore,  it  appears  that  about  $24,000  worth  of  sil- 
ver was  produced.  The  loss  of  quicksilver  equaled  one 
pound  (=:one  dollar)  for  every  forty  dollars  of  silver  ex- 
tracted. The  consumption  of  copper  was  1480  pounds ; 
of  salt,  32,000  pounds;  and  of  wood,  300  cords.  The  pro- 
duction of  silver  at  the  Heintzelman  Mine  is  estimated  at 
over  $100,000  (not  including  large  amounts  of  ore  stolen 
and  worked  in  Sonora) ;  but,  had  it  been  well  and  regu- 
larly worked,  and  provided  with  reduction  works  of  suffi- 
cient capacity,  it  might  have  produced  over  $1,000,000 
in  the  same  time. 

This  is  the  first  experiment  made  in  the  United  States 
in  applying  the  barrel  process  to  the  treatment  of  argen- 
tiferous copper  ores,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that,  in  sub- 
mitting to  it  ores  of  the  peculiar  character  which  these 
possess,  and  especially  when  "we  consider  the  absence  of 
necessary  facilities,  w^e  should  find  in  it  important  defects, 
many  of  which  are  remediable. 

No  exj^eriments  have  been  made  in  working  this  ore 
by  the  patio  or  Spanish-American  amalgamation  process, 
so  that  it  is  not  known  to  what  extent  the  rejection  of 
the  present  method  would  prove  advantageous ;  but  the 
results  obtained  at  Arivaca  show  conclusively  that,  by 
remedying  the  defects  within  the  limits  of  possibility,  and 
by  proper  substitution  of  mechanical  for  manual  labor, 
the  European  method  can  be  used  with  profit  in  Arizona 
for  ores  of  this  class,  and  containing  about  $150  to  the 


168  Arizona  and  jSonora. 

ton.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  ores  of  many  other 
mines  which  are  free  from  lead,  and  in  which  tetrahedrite 
or  copper  glance  is  the  principal  silver  bearer. 

Near  Arivaca  there  are  said  to  be  twenty-five  openings 
on  veins  worked  formerly  for  gold  and  silver.  The  val- 
ley of  this  ranch  is  a  large  plain.  The  soil  rests  on  clay 
slate,  which  is  also,  in  part,  covered  by  a  slight  deposit 
of  the  usual  quaternary.  The  hills  bounding  the  valley 
on  the  north  and  south  are  of  quartziferous  porphyry. 
This  is  a  fine-grained  rock,  with  pink  crystals  of  ortho- 
clase  and  quartz  crystallized  in  double  pyramids.  The 
northern  line  of  contact  between  the  clay  slate  and  por- 
phyry is  marked  by  a  bold  vein  of  quartz  running  east 
and  Avest.  In  this  are  several  openings,  made  previous  to 
the  Apache  war.  The  ore  which  I  observed  was  galena, 
and  its  altered  products  disseminated  in  quartz.  It  is 
said  to  contain  gold.  Several  quartz  veins  traversing  the 
porphyry  have  been  worked  for  gold,  as  have  also  the 
beds  of  the  arroyos  in  the  neighborhood.  Arivaca  has 
too  little  wood  for  extensive  operations.  When  the 
Heintzelman  Mine  is  again  worked,  the  reduction  should 
be  eflected  at  Tubac,  where  the  erection  of  large  Avorks 
would  be  an  incentive  to  the  opening  of  many  of  the 
mines  in  that  neighborhood. 

Santa  Mita. — The  mines  of  the  Santa  Rita  arc  situated 
in  and  around  a  beautiful  valley,  about  ten  miles  east  of 
Tubac,  and  among  the  foot-hills  of  the  Santa  Rita  Mount- 
ains. The  valley  and  the  hills  to  the  north  are  of  a  met- 
amorphic  quartziferous  porphyry,  while  the  hills  to  the 
east  consist  of  a  feldspathic  rock.  It  is  in  these  two  for- 
mations that  the  veins  occur.  The  hills  to  the  south 
are  formed  in  part  by  the  porphyry  conglomerates  al- 
ready mentioned,  and  in  part  by  a  remarkable  feldspathic 
porphyry.     This   last   rock   hag^  a    compact   light   gray 


Mineralogical  SJcetch  of  Arizona.  169 

ground,  bearing  numerous  crystals  of  a  white  triclinic 
feldspar  and  small  prisms  of  hornblende,  but  entirely  free 
from  quartz.  It  is  apparently  older  than  the  conglomer- 
ates.   In  it  no  veins  have  been  discovered. 

The  veins  in  the  feldspathic  rock  are  very  numerous, 
and  have,  with  few  exceptions,  a  nearly  east  and  west 
course.  Their  dip  is  nearly  vertical,  and  they  vary  from 
ten  to  twenty-five  inches  in  thickness.  The  gangue  is 
almost  entirely  quartz,  and  the  ore  generally  argentifer- 
ous gray  copper  and  galena.  When  this  last  mineral  is 
unaccompanied  by  the  tetrahedrite,  its  yield  is  rarely  over 
0.1  per  cent,  of  silver,  but  when  occurring  in  proximity 
to  that  mineral  it  contains  often  from  0.5  to  0.75  per 
cent. 

The  gray  copper  ores  vary  from  light  steel-gray  to 
tarnished  black,  and  contain  from  one  to  over  two  per 
cent,  of  silver.  This  mineral,  when  associated  with  gale- 
na in  decomposing,  is  replaced  by  a  porous  vitreous  sub- 
stance of  yellowish-green  color,  and  consisting  principally 
of  antimoniate  of  lead,  containing  from  one  to  two  per 
cent,  of  silver.  The  "  crystal  vein"  is  of  a  massive  ore  of 
galena,  with  about  twenty  per  cent,  of  zinc  blende  and 
copper  pyrites.  The  gangue  is  quartz,  but  no  tetrahe- 
drite was  observed.  This  galena  is  very  poor  in  silver, 
containing  from  0.1  to  0.2  per  cent.  only.  Thus  to  the 
presence  of  tetrahedrite  is  apparently  due  the  silver  of 
these  ores.  In  this  vicinity  are  several  veins  ofgossan,  or 
oxide  of  iron,  the  cappings  of  deposits  of  ore,  and  them- 
selves containing  a  moderate  percentage,  about  0.1  per 
cent.,  of  silver. 

The  wall  rock  of  these  veins  is  a  crystalline  granular 
rock,  and  has  a  slightly  bluish  tint  on  its  fresh  fracture, 
while  its  weathered  surface  is  discolored  by  oxyd  of  iron 
proceeding  from  the  alteration  of  the  little  hornblende 
contained  in  the  rock.    It  also  has  a  little  mica  and  dis- 

H 


1 70  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

seminated  particles  of  magnetic  iron.  It  thus  approaches 
in  composition  to  a  dioritic  rock. 

The  veins  which  occur  in  the  metamorphic  porphyry- 
have,  so  far  as  opened  upon,  shown  a  different  character 
from  the  above.  The  porphyry  itself  has  a  compact  gray 
ground,  impregnated  with  carbonate  of  lime,  and  bearing 
numerous  crystals  of  opaque,  white,  triclinic  feldspar, 
grains  of  quartz  and  dark  gray  mica  in  six-sided  plates. 
It  contains  also  specks  of  magnetic  iron. 

Veins  in  this  rock  are  of  quartz,  often  comby,  contain- 
ing a  black  tetrahedrite,  with  from  four  to  eight  per  cent, 
of  silver,  and  are  in  places  impregnated  with  galena  in 
small  cubes,  which  contain  0.5  per  cent,  of  silver.  The 
gangue  is  discolored  by  the  blue  and  green  carbonates  of 
copper  and  black  manganese,  with  films  of  the  sulphuret 
of  silver  and  of  native  silver.  Experiments  made  on  va- 
rious quantities  of  these  ores  in  the  patio,  with  the  use  of 
salt  and  mercury,  without  roasting  or  magistral,  have 
given  an  average  yield  of  fifty  ptr  cent,  of  silver,  and 
comparison  with  correct  assays  shows  that  from  eighty 
to  eighty-five  per  cent,  of  the  silver  contained  can  be  ex- 
tracted by  the  simple  action  of  salt  and  mercury.  This 
fact  would  seem  to  show  that  the  silver  of  this  tetrahe- 
drite is  contained  as  mechanically  mixed  sulphuret.  Some 
of  the  veins  in  this  porphyry  have  been  thrown  out  of 
position  by  a  large  dike  of  granite. 

These  mines  have  been  but  little  worked,  although 
three  attempts  have  been  made  —  twice  by  the  Mexicans 
and  recently  by  the  Santa  Rita  Company,  but  in  each 
case  the  Apaches  have  forced  an  abandonment.  The 
ores  reduced  by  the  last  company  were  divided  by  hand 
separation  into  two  classes.  The  first,  containing  tetra- 
hedrite in  quartz  and  brown  spar,  had  an  average  yield 
of  176  ounces  of  silver  to  the  ton.  The  second  class,  a 
quartzy  lead  ore  with  little  tetrahedrite,  averaged  eighty- 
one  ounces  to  the  ton. 


Mineralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona,  171 

Cahudbi  Mines. — "Westward  of  the  Baboquiveri  range, 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  desert,  in  a  country  clothed  with 
only  bushy  mesquit  and  cacti,  and  almost  destitute  of 
water,  there  exists  a  region  which,  from  the  character  of 
its  veins,  appears  to  contain  greater  mineral  wealth  than 
any  other  part  of  Arizona  yet  explored.  It  is  situated  in 
the  centre  of  a  large  plain,  forming  part  of  the  Papagoria, 
and  about  eighty  miles  by  trail  northwest  of  Tubac. 

The  veins  which  I  observed  occur  in  a  quartziferous 
porphyry  and  in  an  amygdaloid  rock.  This  latter  has  a 
brown  compact  base,  containing  numerous  acicular  crys- 
tals of  triclinic  feldspar,  and  calcareous  spar  in  impreg- 
nations and  small  threads.  Cavities,  some  filled  with 
quartz  and  others  with  Delessite,  are  frequent.  In  this 
formation  is  the  Cahuabi  vein.  It  is  from  twelve  to  fif- 
teen inches  thick,  and  consists  of  quartz  and  heavy  spar, 
containing  argentiferous  copper  glance,  galena  and  black 
tetrahedrite.  The  ore  of  this  vein  is  said  to  average  from 
$150  to  $200  per  ton. 

The  Tajo  vein,  about  three  miles  from  the  Cahuabi,  oc- 
curs in  the  same  rock,  and  is  about  two  feet  in  thickness. 
The  gangue  is  barytes  and  quartz.  The  ore  consists  of 
copper  glance,  galena,  and  tetrahedrite,  with  some  blende. 
With  the  copper  glance  is  associated  copper  pyrites. 
This  vein  contains  also  considerable  metallic  gold.  The 
ore  is  said  to  vary  from  $150  to  llVO  per  ton. 

Four  miles  west  of  the  Tajo  is  a  vein  which  traverses 
a  quartziferous  porphyry  of  the  same  character  as  that 
which  bears  the  gold  quartz  veins  of  Arivaca.  The 
gangue  is  quartz,  and  contains  black  tetrahedrite  and 
some  vitreous  copper. 

A  great  number  of  veins  of  quartz  and  barytes  occur 
in  these  two  formations,  the  latter  seeming  to  prefer  the 
amygdaloid  rock.  One  vein  of  barytes,  containing  a 
"  bonanza"  of  sulphuret  of  silver,  was  found  and  worked 


172  Arizona  and  Soiiora. 

by  the  Mexicans,  and  several  specimens  of  heavy  spar  as- 
sociated with  silver  glance  from  various  localities  were 
shown  me. 

The  San  Pedro  Mines. — These  are  about  thirty-five 
miles  east  of  Fort  Buchanan,  and  were  opened  by  a  St. 
Louis  Company.  The  ores  that  I  have  seen  from- this  lo- 
cality are  tetrahedrite  and  massive  copper  glance,  con- 
taining copper  pyrites,  with  quartz  and  barytes  for 
gangue  from  the  San  Pedro  vein,  and  galena,  with  iron 
pyrites,  from  the  St.  Paul  Mine.  These  veins  were  be- 
ing oj)ened  and  promising  well  when  the  company  aban- 
doned them  on  the  account  of  the  assassination  of  the 
employes  by  the  peons.  The  San  Pedro  River  near  these 
mines  is  said  to  be  capable  of  furnishing  sufficient  water 
power  for  extensive  reduction  works. 

From  a  study  of  the  fissure  silver  veins  of  Central  Ari- 
zona it  would  appear,  firstly,  that  they  have  in  common 
quartz,  galena,  and  tetrahedrite ;  secondly,  that  there  is  a 
close  connection  between  barytes  and  copper  glance,  more 
or  less  argentiferous,  in  their  occurrence  in  a  vein ;  and, 
tliirdly,  that  the  proportion  of  silver  in  the  galena  is  large- 
ly increased  when  this  mineral  is  associated  wdth  tetrahe- 
drite. A  large  number  of  assays  made  on  the  gray  cop- 
per ores  of  different  mines  showed  a  range  of  from  one  to 
eight  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  silver.  In  many,  if  not  all 
the  richer  varieties  examined,  a  large  percentage  was  un- 
doubtedly contained  as  mechanically  mixed  sulphuret  of 
silver. 

In  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains,- south  of  Fort  Buchanan, 
is  a  series  of  lead  mines,  several  of  which  were  excavated 
by  Mexicans  several  years  since.  They  appear  to  follow 
the  line  of  contact  between  an  argillaceous  limestone,  in 
which  corals  have  been  found,  and  a  j^robably  metamor- 
phic  porphyry.     In  places  the  deposits  are  of  considerable 


Min  eralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona,  173 

extent,  often  many  yards  in  thickness,  but,  apparently, 
very  irregularly  developed.  Near  the  surface  the  galena 
is  often  entirely  changed  into  carbonate  of  lead  associated 
with  porous  quartz. 

At  the  Patagonia  Mine*  the  ore  consists  of  galena  suf- 
ficiently altered,  at  the  present  depth  of  working,  to  ren- 
der its  reduction  extremely  simple.  The  average  yield 
of  silver  from  this  ore  has  been,  thus  far,  about  $80  per 
ton. 

There  is  another  class  of  contact  veins  bearing  both 
lead  and  copper  ores.  To  this  class  belongs  the  deposit 
near  San  Xavier,  on  the  Santa  Cruz.  The  ore  is  galena, 
with  copper  pyrites  and  tile  ore,  associated  with  oxyd  of 
iron  and  quartz,  the  whole  interstratified  with  metamor- 
phic  limestone.  The  galena  examined  contained  0.20  per 
cent.,  the  copper  pyrites  0.25  per  cent.,  and  the  tile  ore 
0.10  per  cent,  silver. 

Near  Caborca,  in  Northwestern  Sonora,  are  deposits  of 
a  somewhat  similar  character.  The  strata  of  metamor- 
phic  limestone  are  almost  vertical,  and  near  their  contact 
with  granite  become  highly  impregnated  with  lime  gar- 
nets. Along  the  line  of  contact  between  the  two  forma- 
tions, the  presence  of  copper  ores  is  indicated  by  frequent 
occurrence  of  green  and  blue  carbonates  and  impure  red 
oxyd.  These  indications  often  lead  to  the  discovery  of 
limited  deposits  containing  a  few  hundred  tons  of  copper. 
One  of  these,  worked  in  1861,  yielded  from  250  to  300 
tons  of  twenty-five  per  cent.  ore.  There  was  no  vein ; 
the  ore,  Avhich  was  accompanied  by  calcareous  spar,  being 
gradually  replaced  at  the  bottom  of  the  deposit  by  the 
limestone  of  the  formation.  The  ore  is  copper  glance,  tile 
ore,  or  impure  red  oxyd,  and  some  copper  pyrites.  Ac- 
companying these  deposits,  and  also  where  no  copper  ore 
is  visible,  the  line  of  contact  is  occupied  by  masses  of 
*  Now  the  Mowry  Silver  Mines. 


174  Arizona  a7id  jSonora. 

magnetic  iron.  Where  the  same  limestone  comes  in  con- 
tact with  diorite,  the  former  contains  large  crystals  of 
magnetic  iron  and  spinel. 

Planchas  de  la  Plata.  —  In  Sonora,  just  south  of  the 
line,  and  near  the  meridian  of  Tubac,  are  the  Planchas  de 
la  Plata  Mines,  still  celebrated  throughout  the  republic. 
According  to  the  best  Mexican  and  Jesuit  authorities, 
large  masses  of  native  silver  were  discovered  there  in 
1769.  Pieces  of  great  size  were  obtained  (one  is  said  to 
have  weighed  3600  pounds),  and  the  workings  were  being 
prosecuted  with  vigor  and  success,  when  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernment declared  the  deposit  to  be  a  criadero^  and,  as 
such,  to  belong  to  the  crown.  The  place  was  therefore 
abandoned,  and  every  attempt  made  at  regular  working 
since  the  Revolution  has  been  frustrated  by  the  Apaches. 

The  most  singular  feature  connected  with  the  discovery 
is  that  no  vein,  from  which  these  masses  could  have  come, 
was  found.  The  deposit  seems  to  have  been  a  regular 
placer.  The  silver  occurred  in  pieces  of  every  size  down 
to  small  grains.  Several  rich  veins  were  opened  in  the 
neighboring  mountains,  but  were  also  abandoned  from 
absence  of  protection.  The  only  specimens  that  I  have 
seen  from  this  locality  were  apparently  a  partially  decom- 
posed quartziferous  porphyry,  from  the  w^all  rock  of  the 
Mina  Colorada,  and  were  impregnated  with  grains  of  sil- 
ver glance. 

General  Conckisions.— Before  the  working  of  mines  in 
Arizona  can  become  regular  and  profitable,  many  changes 
will  be  necessary.  The  Apaches  must  either  be  exterm- 
inated or  reduced  to  complete  submission,  and  this  can 
only  be  accomplished  by  a  long  series  of  campaigns.  A 
port  is  also  necessary,  without  w^hich  all  supplies  and  ma- 
chinery have  to  be  transported  over  deserts  from  the  Gulf 


Mineralogical  Sketch  of  Arizona.  ITS 

of  Mexico  or  the  Colorado  River.  Guaymas,  350  miles, 
and  Port  Lobos,  150  miles  from  Tubac,  are  the  natm-al 
entrances  to  the  country,  and,  so  long  as  thesa  remain  in 
the  hands  of  a  treacherous  and  capricious  government,  no 
enterprise  can  flourish  either  in  Arizona  or  Sonora.  Far- 
ther, the  present  unnatural  boundary-line  will  always  be 
a  source  of  trouble,  afibrding  a  shelter  to  the  robbers  and 
assassins  of  both  countries. 

The  substitution  of  white  for  peon  labor  would  proba- 
bly be  a  failure,  owing  to  the  debilitating  influence  which 
the  climate  exerts  on  Northerners.  The  Mexican  labor 
is  good  when  properly  superintended ;  but,  to  render  it 
advantageous,  the  recognition  of  the  traditionary  custom 
of  peonage  is  necessary.  A  thorough  code  of  mining 
laws  is  also  much  to  be  desired;  for,  however  well  the 
plan  of  permitting  miners  to  make  their  own  regulations 
may  be  thought  to  work  in  gold  districts,  it  will  never 
place  silver  mining  on  a  solid  basis,  but  can  not,  on  the 
contrary,  act  otherwise  than  prejudicially  to  the  interests 
of  both  miners  and  the  state. 

There  is  but  little  doubt  that,  after  a  few  years  of  prop- 
er development,  Arizona  might  become  an  important 
source  of  silver,  although  its  veins  do  not  possess  the 
great  thickness  of  many  of  the  mines  of  Mexico,  although 
the  average  richness  of  the  ore  is  greater  and  more  con- 
centrated. Still,  it  can  not  be  expected  to  produce  the 
brilliant  results  obtained  in  Central  Mexico. 


^ 


176  Arizona  a7id  Sonora. 


CHAPTER  X. 

CORRESPONDENCE.* 

S.  Mowry  to  J.  H.  Bartlett,  Esq. — ^From  J.  E.  Bartlett,  Esq. — From 
John  C.  Hays,  Esq. — From  Hon.  Joseph  Lane. — From  John  Nu- 
gent, Esq. — From  Hon.  Miguel  A.  Otero. — From  S.  W.  Inge,  Esq. 
—From  Major  C.  E.  Bennett. — ^From  Sam.  F.  Butterworth,  Esq. 

8.  Mowry  to  J.  M.  Bartlett^  Esq. 

Washington,  September  20, 1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  general  impression  which  has  in 
some  way  become  diffused  that  the  new  Territory  of  Ari- 
zona is  a  worthless  and  barren  country  is  so  wide  from 
the  truth,  and  is  calculated  to  retard  in  so  great  a  degree 
the  early  development  of  this  valuable  region,  that  any 
reliable  information  respecting  its  mineral  and  agricultu- 
ral resou\*ces  will  be  read  by  the  public  with  great  in- 
terest. 

The  recent  large  emigration  into  the  new  Territory, 
the  fabulous  stories  which  each  California  mail  brings  us 
of  discoveries  in  silver  and  copper,  the  establishment  of 
the  Overland  Mail  route  to  California  throughout  its  en- 
tire length,  the  petition  of  its  inhabitants  for  government 
protection,  and  the  probability  of  its  erection  into  a  sep- 

*  The  following  letters  from  eminent  persons,  some  of  them  of  na- 
tional reputation,  are  only  a  portion  of  those  in  my  possession,  extend- 
ing over  a  period  of  seven  years.  They  are  given  as  additional  and 
unanswerable  testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  statements  contained  in  the 
preceding  pages.  The  concluding  letter,  from  Sam.  F.  Butterworth, 
Esq. ,  President  of  the  Quicksilver  Mining  Company,  and  late  Super- 
intendent of  the  United  States  Assay  Office  at  New  York,  was  received 
after  this  edition  was  prepared  for  the  press.  The  high  character  of 
the  writer,  and  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  subject,  gives  espe- 
cial weight  to  his  opinion. — S.  M. 


Correspondence.  Ill 

arate  Territory  by  the  next  Congress,  all  operate  to  make 
Arizona  a  prominent  subject  of  public  inquiry.  Few  per- 
sons know  better  than  yourself  its  resources,  both  agri- 
cultural and  mineral.  Perhaps  no  one  can  furnish  such 
accurate  and  decided  information,  especially  of  that  vast 
agricultural  region  north  of  the  Gila,  which  once  sustain- 
ed a  mighty  population. 

Your  official  connection  with  the  Gadsden  Purchase  as 
United  States  Commissioner  invests  any  statement  from 
you  in  this  connection  with  emphatic  authority.  I  am 
sure  you  will  at  once  interest  the  public,  and  greatly 
serve  the  people  of  Arizona,  by  allowing  your  views,  al- 
ready known  to  your  friends,  to  be  published. 

Very  respectfully,  your  friend  and  servant, 

Sylvester  Mowrt. 

Hon.  John  E.  Bartlett,  late  United  States  Commissioner. 


Mom  J.  JR.  Bartlett^  Esq, 

Providence,  October  31,  1857. 

Dear  Sir, — ^I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  20th 
ultimo,  asking  of  me  certain  information  relative  to  the 
mineral  wealth  and  agricultural  resources  of  the  new 
Territory  of  Arizona,  which  is  now  attracting  public  at- 
tention, with  a  desire  that  I  will  furnish  such  facts  as 
came  under  my  notice  relative  to  this  region  while  acting 
as  United  States  Commissioner  in  the  survey  of  the  Mex- 
ican boundary. 

"The  general  impression,"  which,  you  observe,  "has 
become  diffiised,  that  this  Territory  is  a  worthless  and 
barren  country,"  is  not  correct.  A  large  portion  of  Cali- 
fornia may  be  called  barren — indeed,  the  gold-bearing  re- 
gion is  in  a  great  measure  so  —  but  no  one  would  call  it 
a  "  worthless"  country.  Its  hills,  its  elevated  lands,  and 
many  of  its  plains,  being  destitute  of  water-courses  and 

H2 


178  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

springs,  are  of  little  value  for  agricultural  purposes,  while 
for  grazing  they  are  valuable.  There  are,  besides,  large 
districts  in  California,  strictly  deserts,  which  are  barren 
and  worthless.  Again,  the  valleys  along  the  rivers  and 
water-courses,  as  well  as  those  lying  between  ranges  of 
mountain,  and  deriving  sustenance  therefrom,  are  exceed- 
ingly rich,  and  surpass  in  fertility  any  agricultural  dis- 
tricts of  the  Atlantic  States.  The  same  rule  will  ^pply  to 
the  region  in  question,  which  is  included  in  the  so-called 
Territory  of  Arizona. 

In  replying  to  your  queries,  I  will  extend  my  observa- 
tions to  the  territory  embraced  in  the  "Gadsden  Pur- 
chase," so  called,  as  well  as  to  the  district  which  bounds 
that  territory  on  the  north,  particularly  the  valley  of  the 
Gila,  and  of  its  principal  confluent,  the  River  Salinas,  as 
you  make  mention  of  this. 

The  vast  region  in  question,  like  Cahfornia,  presents 
three  distinct  features  in  its  surface,  without  speaking  of 
the  mountainous  district;  first,  dry  plains;  second,  ele- 
vated plateaus  or  table-lands ;  and,  third,  agricultural  val- 
leys or  bottom  lands. 

Of  the  districts  embraced  in  the  first  division,  one 
lies  south  of  the  Gila,  between  the  head  waters  of  the 
Gulf  of  California  and  the  valley  of  the  Santa  Cruz ;  the 
other  west  of  the  Rio  Grande,  at  intervals  between  that 
and  the  San  Pedro  valley.  The  table-lands  lie  in  the  lat- 
ter district,  as  well  as  between  the  San  Pedro  and  Santa 
Cruz  Rivers.  The  valleys  where  there  are  arable  lands 
are  the  Rio  Grande,  the  Mimbres,  and  in  the  Burro 
Mountains,  El  Saux,  San  Pedro,  Calabazas,  Santa  Cruz, 
and  the  Gila.  The  Rio  Grande,  San  Pedro,  and  Santa 
Cruz  are  the  larger ;  the  others,  though  small,  could  be 
rendered  highly  productive,  and  would  be  brought  into 
use  in  settling  the  Territory.  In  speaking  of  arable  lands, 
it  is  necessary  to  remark  that  artificial  irrigation  is  neces- 


Correspondence.  X79 

sary  for  all  agriculture  throughout  New  Mexico,  much 
of  Texas,  and  the  whole  of  Northern  Mexico.  The  yield 
in  this  case  is  vastly  greater  than  is  produced  in  countries 
where  the  sole  dependence  is  upon  the  rains. 

The  dry  plains  are  generally  level,  with  a  hard  surface, 
and  are  admirably  adapted  for  the  purposes  of  a  wagon 
road  or  railway.  Experience  has  shown,  too,  that,  with 
artesian  wells,  water  may  be  obtained.  By  mere  digging 
I  found  it  in  many  places  where  certain  indications  well 
known  to  experienced  eyjes  may  always  detect  its  exist- 
ence. Whether  these  arid  spots  can  ever  be  rendered 
available  for  agricultural  purposes  I  will  not  pretend  to 
say.     My  opinion  is  that  they  can  not. 

The  table-lands  are  covered  with  a  short  and  luxuri- 
ant grass,  upon  which  immense  herds  of  cattle  have  been 
and  may  still  be  raised.  Formerly  herds  of  forty  thou- 
sand existed  in  Chihuahua,  which  then  included  the  east- 
ern portion  of  Arizona.  On  the  haciendas  where  there 
were  no  ponds  or  streams  the  cattle  obtained  their  water 
from  the  "  pozos,"  or  simple  wells,  and  the  "  norias,"  or 
draw-wells,  where  the  water  was  drawn  up  by  a  wheel 
worked  by  mules.  These  peculiar  wells  are  found 
throughout  Chihuahua,  Durango,  and  other  states,  and 
furnish  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  for  haciendas  with 
large  droves  of  cattle.  I  met  with  many  of  these  wells 
far  from  any  streams. 

In  the  northern  parts  of  Chihuahua,  or  Arizona,  the 
cattle  herds  have  long  since  disappeared,  owing  to  the 
incursions  of  the  Apaches  and  Camanches ;  and  I  may 
make  the  same  remark  with  regard  to  that  portion  of  the 
Territory  of  Arizona  which  formerly  belonged  to  Sonora. 
The  great  herds  have  disappeared,  and  the  haciendas  are 
every  Avhere  in  ruin. 

In  the  grazing  district  I  ought  also  to  include  many 
of  the  mountain  valleys  and  ravines,  as  weU  as  the  lesser 


1 80  Arizo7ia  and  Sonora, 

hills,  where  gramma  grass  {crondosium)  is  found  in  abund- 
ance, and  which  is  greedily  eaten  by  horses,  mules,  sheep, 
and  horned  cattle.  This  grass  is  very  nutritious,  and 
even  when  dry  and  parched  by  the  intense  heat  of  sum- 
mer is  eagerly  sought  after  by  animals. 

The  great  plateau  west  of  the  Rio  Grande,  where 
grass  exists,  and  which  may  embrace  two  thirds  or  more 
of  the  elevated  region,  consists  of  an  undulating  prairie, 
with  here  and  there  a  conical-shaped  hill.  'Eo  considera- 
ble or  continuous  range  of  mountains  is  met  with  until  a 
spur  of  the  Sierra  Burro  is  reached,  which  is  about  twelve 
miles  west  of  Ojo  de  Vaca.  Cooke's  Spring,  Ojo  de 
Vaca,  and  Pachetehli  are  depressions  in  the  plain  where 
springs  bearing  these  names  are  found,  and  which  ./are 
well  known  to  those  who  have  traversed  this  region.  In 
the  Burro  Mountains  is  a  fine  spring  called  by  us  *'Ojo 
de  Inez,"  with  several  pools  of  water  in  the  valley  adja- 
cent. Besides  these,  our  surveying  parties  discovered 
other  springs  and  pools  of  water  near  the  hills,  as  well  as 
in  depressions  on  the  plain,  which,  if  opened,  would  fur- 
nish a  good  supply.  Then  we  have  also  the  large  body 
of  water  west  of  the  El  Paso,  known  as  Lake  Guzman, 
and  the  River  Mimbres. 

The  Mimbres  rises  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and,  after 
coursing  through  the  plateau,  discharges  itself,  when  full, 
into  Lake  Guzman.  It  seldom  reaches  that  lake,  howev- 
er, its  waters  being  absorbed  or  lost  in  the  plain.  Its 
sources  have  never  been  traced,  but,  as  far  as  known,  it 
must  flow  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  when  full. 
I  foujid  it  dry  thirty  miles  south  of  an  encampment  at  the 
Copper  Mines  (Fort  Webster)  in  July.  The  Mimbres  is 
but  a  small  stream,  and  hardly  deserves  the  name  of  a 
river ;  hence  its  cultivable  valley  is  narrow,  nowhere  ex- 
ceeding a  mile  after  entering  the  open  plain. 

I  followed  the  stream  two  miles  below  where  we  first 


Correspondence.  181 

struck  it  and  where  we  encamped.  Here  there  was  a 
thick  growth  of  large  cottonwoods ;  and,  although  the 
,bottom  was  much  contracted  in  Avidth,  it  was  thickly- 
wooded  and  forest-like.  Taking  a  small  armed  party  with 
me  then  for  protection,  I  followed  the  river  up  for  about 
five  miles  where  it  entered  the  hills,  and  a  little  beyond 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  I  noticed  all  along  the  valley  great 
quantities  of  wild  roses,  hops,  and  the  Missouri  currant, 
in  some  places  growing  so  rank  and  entangled  that  we 
were  unable  to  work  our  way  through.  The  remains  of 
old  Indian  encampments  and  wigwams,  with  fragments 
of  pottery  scattered  around,  showed  that  it  was  a  place 
of  resort  for  the  Indians.  ♦ 

In  the  mountains,  where  the  Mimbres  receives  constant 
Recessions  of  water  from  lesser  rivulets  and  springs,  there 
are  wider  valleys.  It  runs  about  eight  miles  east  of  the 
Copper  Mines ;  and  here,  on  account  of  the  excellent  graz- 
ing, the  abundance  of  wood  and  vrater,  w^e  grazed  our  an- 
imals. There  is  no  cultivated  ground  at  the  Copper 
Mines  beyond  a  couple  of  acres ;  and,  although  there  are 
excellent  garrison  buildings  here,  the  place  was  abandon- 
ed soon  after  the  boundary  commission  left  it,  1851,  and 
Fort  Webster  established  on  the  Mimbres,  which  afibrd- 
ed  superior  advantages.  In  all  this  region  there  is  an 
abundance  of  pine  and  other  timber  trees.  Game,  too, 
abounds,  consisting  of  grizzly,  brown,  and  black  bears, 
deer,  rabbits,  turkeys,  partridges,  quails,  etc.,  while  in  the 
waters  of  the  Mimbres  we  took  excellent  fish. 

Santa  Rita  del  Cobre,  or  the  Copper  Mines,  was  for 
about  forty  years  an  active  mining  town.  The  workings 
commenced  in  1804,  and,  proving  very  profitable,  a  popu- 
lation of  six  hundred  souls  gathered  around  them.  The 
hills  near  by  furnish  grazing  for  the  animals,  but  for  agri- 
cultural productions  the  population  depended  upon  the 
richly  cultivated  districts  in  the  valleys  of  the  San  Miguel 


1 82  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

and  Casas  Grandes,  to  the  southward.  A  considerable 
trade  was  also  carried  on  with  the  frontier  towns  in  So- 
nora. The  return  trains  took  back  copper  or  ore,  much 
of  which,  owing  to  its  superior  quality,  was  sent  to  the 
city  of  Mexico,  where  it  was  used  for  coinage.  I  was  told 
in  Chihuahua  that  the  gold  found  in  this  ore  paid  the 
cost  of  transportation. 

I  have  little  doubt  that  the  region  about  the  Copper 
Mines  abounds  in  mineral  wealth.  Gold  was  found  four 
miles  from  our  camp,  and  some  of  our  men,  after  leaving 
the  commission,  sunk  a  shaft  there.  They  found  gold,  but, 
being  ignorant  of  the  means  of  washing  it,  and  not  know- 
ing the  indications  of  its  existence  elsewhere,  their  project 
was  abandoned.  Several  fine'specimens  of  lead  and  silver 
ore,  procured  near  by,  were  also  shown  me ;  but  the  Apa- 
che chiefs  told  me  they  knew  where  both  gold  and  silver 
were  to  be  found  in  abundance  some  twenty  miles  distant 
in  the  mountains.  They  had  specimens  of  gold,  and  oifer- 
ed  to  conduct  me  to  the  spot  where  they  obtained  it ;  but 
I  did  not  think  it  safe  to  trust  myself  with  these  treacher- 
ous people,  although  I  was  on  the  most  friendly  terms 
with  them,  and  excused  myself  from  accompanying  them 
by  saying  that  my  object  w^as  not  to  get  gold,  as  they  be- 
lieved, but  to  survey  the  boundary.  The  Mexicans  have 
many  traditions  of  the  existence  of  silver  ore  in  these 
mountains ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  a  careful  exploration  by 
a  skillful  geologist  would  be  the  means  of  making  known 
a  very  rich  mining  region.  General  Conde,  when  with 
me  at  the  Copper  Mines,  assured  me  that  he  had  knowl- 
edge of  valuable  silver  ore  in  the  adjacent  mountains. 

On  leaving  this  encampment  in  August,  1851,  we  jour- 
neyed south,  stopping  at  the  springs  of  Pachetehti  and 
Ojo  de  Vaca.  The  whole  plateau  was  then  covered  with 
verdure,  owning  to  copious  rains.  At  the  latter  spring  I 
presume  there  is  always  water,  as  I  found  it  there  at  my 


Correspondence.  183 

several  visits  in  May,  June,  and  August.  There  are  here 
a  few  acres  where  grass  is  always  found.  It  is  a  water- 
ing-place for  all  passing  trains,  and  has  long  been  resorted 
to  by  the  Indians. 

From  this  point  we  pursued  a  course  nearly  west,  en- 
tering the  broad  district  which  had  never  been  penetrated 
before  by  any  white  man  in  modern  times  (as  far  as  I 
know),  and  where  we  had  doubts  whether  water  could  be 
found.  At  twelve  miles  distance  we  entered  a  caiion  or 
defile  of  the  Burro  Mountains,  which  we  followed  up  for 
six  miles,  to  Ojo  de  Inez.  This  defile  was  thickly  wooded 
with  scrub  oaks,  and  led  to  a  grassy  meadow,  three  hund- 
red yards  wide,  in  which  were  many  fine  springs  and  pools 
of  water.  We  traced  a  small  spring  running  through  this 
valley  for  several  miles,  and  I  have  reason  to  think  that 
it  extends  to  the  Gila.  Here  would  be  a  good  point  for 
a  station  on  a  wagon  road,  as  I  suggested  in  my  "  Per- 
sonal Narrative,"  vol.  i.,  p.  363.  There  is  plenty  of  mead- 
ow-land, water,  and  wood ;  and,  though  in  a  secluded  spot, 
is  accessible  for  loaded  wagons. 

The  next  valley  with  water  is  that  known  as  "  El  Cie- 
nega  del  Saux,"  i.  e..  Willow  Marsh,  though  now  called 
the  Valley  de  Saux.  This  lies  east  of  the  Chiracahui  range 
of  mountains,  and  a  corresponding  range  about  twenty 
miles  distant.  This  space  is  without  trees.  The  marsh 
is  a  basin  where  the  waters  are  collected  from  the  adjacent 
slopes.  We  encamped  on  its  margin,  where  there  were 
many  pools  of  water,  but  of  the  extent  of  ground  thus 
covered  I  was  unable,  from  the  flatness  of  the  ground,  to 
form  any  opinion.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  much  of 
this  valley  can  be  brought  under  cultivation,  and  that  it 
must  become  the  site  of  one  of  the  principal  stations  on 
the  great  wagon  road  now  constructing.  The  old  Spanish 
maps  exhibit  a  stream  called  the  "  Suanco,"  emptying  into 
the  Gila,  which  appears  to  run  through  this  valley.    Many 


184  Arizo7ia  and  So7iora. 

villages  and  ranches  are  marked  upon  the  map  along  this 
river,  whence  it  may  be  inferred  that  there  is  an  agricul- 
tural valley  here.  In  crossing  the  Saux  valley  I  noticed 
an  arroyo  or  dry  bed  of  a  stream,  which,  during  and  after 
the  rainy  season,  may  be  filled  with  water. 

In  the  Chiracahui  Mountains  we  found  water  in  abund- 
ance. So  copious  indeed  was  the  supply  (although  but 
the  basin  of  a  spring),  that  after  all  our  animals,  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  in  number,  had  drank  of  it,  we 
could  perceive  no  diminution.  The  mountain  pass  was 
well  wooded,  with  plenty  of  grass.  The  exact  position 
of  our  encampment  here  was  latitude  32°  08'  43",  longi- 
tude 109°  24'  33". 

Between  these  mountains  and  the  San  Pedro  is  an  un- 
dulating plain,  intersected  by  a  mountain  range  near  the 
river,  with  brackish  water  in  some  parts.  Portions  of 
this  bear  a  short  grass,  but  there  is  no  wood  except  in 
the  mountain  defile  through  which  we  passed,  and  but  a 
scanty  supply  there. 

The  San  Pedro  valley  is  next  reached,  and  lying  some 
ten  or  twelve  feet  below  the  bottom  land,  unmarked  by 
trees,  the  river  is  not  observed  until  at  its  very  margin. 
It  was  here  about  thirty  feet  wide  and  two  and  a  half 
deep.  Its  depth  varies  with  the  rainy  and  dry  seasons. 
Its  valley  is  from  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  width, 
and  in  some  places  I  was  told  it  was  still  wider.  This 
valley  formerly  sustained  a  considerable  population,  scat- 
tered about  in  haciendas  and  ranches,  and  engaged  in 
rearing  cattle.  I  noticed  the  ruins  of  haciendas  which 
for  years  had  been  abandoned,  and  also  saw  herds  of  wild 
cattle  roaming  through  the  mesquit  chapparal  of  the  val- 
ley. A  few  days  after  we  met  with  a  large  party  of 
Mexicans,  under  Don  Ilarian  Garcia,  engaged  in  hunting 
wild  cattle,  in  order  to  obtain  a  supply  of  beef  for  the 
army,  for  which  beef  he  had  the  contract.     From  him  I 


Correspondence.  185 

learned  that  the  valley  was  much  broader  farther  south, 
and  that  thousands  of  cattle  grazed  there. 

I  am  not  aware  that  much  of  this  valley  has  been  un- 
der cultivation  by  artificial  irrigation,  as  we  did  not  meet 
with  the  usual  traces  of  irrigating  canals,  which,  when 
once  dug,  never  disappear  entirely.  Yet  such  irrigation 
may  have  been  employed  in  parts  of  the  valley  that  I  did 
not  examine. 

A  pretty  little  stream,  which  I  learned  from  the  Mexi- 
can hunters  referred  to,  called  the  Babacanora,  entered 
the  San  Pedro  about  twenty-five  miles  above  where  we 
first  encamped.  We  also  encamped  at  this  stream,  near 
a  ruined  hacienda,  where  there  were  remains  of  an  or- 
chard of  fruit-trees.  The  valley  of  the  Babacanora  is 
wide,  and  was  covered  with  luxuriant  grass;  indeed,  it 
was  a  much  more  attractive  and  apparently  richer  spot 
than  the  valley  of  the  San  Pedro.  Its  broad  flats  or  bot- 
toms resembled  those  of  the  Mohawk  River,  and  it  was 
in  these^ear  the  confluent  with  the  latter  stream,  that 
the  Mexicans  were  hunting  the  wild  cattle. 

Leaving  the  valley  of  the  San  Pedro  we  came  upon  a 
rolling  country  or  prairie,  here  and  there  covered  with  a 
short  grass,  upon  which  we  encountered  small  herds  of 
mustangs.  This  grass  was  eagerly  eaten  by  our  animals. 
On  these  plains  we  found  many  depressions  with  pools 
of  water.  One  of  these  depressions  led  to  a  small  run- 
ning stream,  coursing  through  a  level  bottom,  which  we 
traced  for  about  fifteen  miles.  This  was  studded  for  a 
portion  of  the  distance  with  large  oaks  and  sycamores, 
and  resembled  a  highly  cultivated  English  park ;  yet  soli- 
tude reigned  around,  and  there  was  no  evidence  that  it 
had  ever  been  inhabited  by  white  men.  Farther  on,  near 
where  the  stream  forced  its  way  through  the  mountains 
known  as  the  Sierra  Santa  Rita,  we  found  the  ruins  of  a 
hacienda,  with  a  tract  of  rich  bottom  land  near.     On  this 


186  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

bottom  there  were  cottonwood  trees  of  immense  size. 
The  stream,  which  is  here  about  twenty  feet  wide,  emp- 
ties into  the  Santa  Cruz  near  the  hacienda  of  Calabaza. 

The  whole  district  lying  between  the  valley  of  the  San 
Pedro  and  the  Santa  Cruz  may  strictly  be  called  a  graz- 
ing country.  It  is  well  watered  by  the  streams  mention- 
ed and  by  the  many  small  pools.  As  we  approached  the 
lofty  Sierra  de  Santa  Rita  we  crossed  several  arroyos 
lined  with  trees,  showing  that  after  the  rainy  season  there 
is  a  great  abundance  of  water  here. 

We  now  approach  the  Santa  Cruz  River  and  its  valley, 
unquestionably  the  finest  agricultural  district  in  the  whole 
of  the  Gadsden  Purchase,  after  leaving  the  bottom  lands 
of  the  Rio  Grande.  It  is  also  the  best  wooded  of  any 
portion  of  the  Territory,  and  in  other  respects  presents 
many  advantages  for  settlers ;  indeed,  this  valley,  with 
its  adjacent  districts,  where  there  are  several  rich  and 
highly  cultivated  haciendas  and  missions,  must  become 
the  granary  for  the  future  State  of  Arizona.       ^ 

The  Santa  Cruz  River  rises  in  a  broad  valley,  or  rather 
plain,  north  of  the  town  of  the  same  name.  We  struck 
it  at  the  base  of  a  mountain  range,  where  an  open  coun- 
try, studded  with  oaks,  lay  before  us.  Passing  these  was 
an  open  plain  covered  with  luxuriant  grass,  without  a 
tree  or  shrub ;  crossing  Avhich,  after  being  contracted 
between  low  ranges  of  hills,  we  reached  Santa  Cruz. 
This  is  an  old  town  and  presidio,  and  falls  about  ten 
miles  south  of  our  line.  Flowing  south  nine  miles  to  San 
Lorenzo,  a  deserted  rancho,  it  soon  after  takes  a  norther- 
ly course,  winding  its  way  through  a  beautiful  valley, 
until  it  is  lost  in  the  desert  plain  or  sands,  some  ten  or 
fifteen  miles  north  of  Tucson.  Its  entire  length  in  a  di- 
rect line,  without  reckoning  its  sinuosities,  is  about  a 
hundred  miles.  Its  width  varies  from  20  to  100  feet,  and 
during  very  dry  seasons  portions  of  it  disappear. 


Correspondence.  187 

This  valley  was  traversed  by  the  earliest  Spanish  ex- 
plorers in  1535,  seduced  by  the  flattering  accounts  of  Ca- 
be9a  de  Vaca.  Marco  de  Niza  and  Coronado  led  their 
adventurers  through  it  in  search  of  the  famed  cities  of 
Cibola,  north  of  the  Gila;  and  before  the  year  1600,  its 
richness  having  been  made  known,  it  was  soon  after  oc- 
cupied as  missionary  ground.  Remains  of  several  of 
these  missions  still  exist.  The  mission  church  of  San 
Xavier  del  Bac,  erected  during  the  last  century,  is  the 
finest  edifice  of  the  kind  in  Sonora.  Tumacacori,  a  few 
miles  south  of  Tubac,  was  the  most  extensive  mission  in 
this  part  of  the  country.-  The  extensive  buildings,  irri- 
gating canals,  and  broad  cultivated  domain  here  at  once 
attest  its  advantages. 

The  towns  and  settlements  in  the  Santa  Cruz  valley 
are  Santa  Cruz  and  San  Lorenzo  (south  of  our  line),  Cal- 
abazas,  Tumacacori,  Tubac,  Sopori,  the  mission  of  San 
Xavier,  and  Tucson.  Santa  Cruz,  Tubac,  and  Tucson 
were  presidios.  With  the  exception  of  Santa  Cruz  and 
Tucson,  this  entire  valley  was  abandoned  to  the  savage 
Apaches  at  the  time  of  my  first  visit  in  1851,  and  the 
population  of  these  was  greatly  diminished ;  indeed,  but 
for  the  military  the  Indians  would  have  had  entire  pos- 
session of  it.  At  Calabazas  a  small  stream  enters,  upon 
which  are  fine  bottom  lands.  At  Sopori  is  another  ex- 
tensive hacienda,  with  a  broad  domain  and  fine  bottom 
lands.  Between  Tubac  and  San  Xavier  is  the  finest  tim- 
bered district  in  the  country;  it  extends  from  the  river 
to  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  is  apparently  several 
miles  in  width.  The  timber  is  wholly  mesquit,  of  a  larger 
size  than  I  noticed  any  where  in  the  Territory,  except 
in  the  valley  of  the  Colorado.  This  timber  must  be  of 
incalculable  value  both  for  railroad  and  mining  purposes. 
For  building  purposes  it  is  too  hard  and  crooked.  Be- 
sides, the   Cottonwood  is  found  on  the  margin  of  all 


188  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

streams ;  it  is  of  rapid  growth,  and  well  adapted  for 
building. 

Tucson,  the  most  northern  presidio  in  Mexico,  once 
contained  three  thousand  inhabitants.  In  1851  it  had 
dwindled  down  to  less  than  five-  hundred,  and  I  under- 
stand now  contains  between  one  and  two  thousand.  The 
valley  here  is  wide  and  rich.  The  large  and  picturesque 
haciendas,  and  the  wide-spread  system  of  irrigation  which 
every  where  marks  the  plain,  sufficiently  attest  its  suscep- 
tibility for  cultivation.  Between  Tucson  and  the  Gila  is 
an  arid  desert  ninety  miles  across,  about  midway  on 
which  is  a  well-known  picaclio^  at  the  base  of  which  wa- 
ter is  often  found  in  pools,  and  where,  by  sinking  wells, 
it  might  be  had  at  all  times. 

"With  regard  to  the  lands  bordering  on  the  River  Gila, 
but  a  portion  are  susceptible  of  cultivation  by  the  usual 
means  adopted  in  that  region,  irrigation.  Its  valley  is 
wooded  generally  with  cottonwood  trees,  while  border- 
ing on  this  are  "  openings"  of  mesquit.  The  best  portion 
of  the  Gila  valley  is  occupied  by  the  two  tribes  of  Indians 
known  as  the  Pimos  and  the  Coco  Maricopas.  This  is 
a  tract  lying  180  miles  from  its  mouth,  between  the  point 
where  the  road  from  Tucson  strikes  the  Gila  and  the 
mouth  of  the  Salinas.  The  arable  lands  occupied  and 
cultivated  by  the  Indians  referred  to  extend  from  sixteen 
to  twenty  miles  along  the  river,  and  are  from  three  to 
four  miles  in  width.  Irrigating  canals  or  "acequias" 
conduct  the  water  of  the  Gila  over  all  this  cultivated  dis- 
trict. The  Indians  raise  wheat,  corn,  millet,  beans,  pump- 
kins, and  melons  in  great  abundance.  Their  wheat  and 
corn  they  grind  into  flour,  from  which  they  make  a  pala- 
table bread.  They  also  raise  a  superior  quality  of  cot- 
ton, from  which  they  spin  and  weave  their  own  gar- 
ments ;  an  art  not  acquired  from  the  Spaniards,  but 
which  was  found  among  them  more  than  three  hundred 


Corresjyondeoice.  189 

years  ago,  when  the  Spaniards  first  penetrated  this  coun- 
try. 

But  the  arable  lands  of  the  Gila  at  this  point  are  not 
limited  to  the  district  occupied  by  the  Pimos  and  Coco 
Maricopas;  they  extend  far  up  that  stream  until  it  en- 
ters the  mountains.  I  traced  it  up  beyond  the  cele- 
brated "  Casas  Grandes,"  and  found  the  bottom  land  in- 
tersected in  all  directions  by  old  irrigating  canals  of 
greater  or  less  size;  ruins  of  ancient  edifices, vast  mounds 
and  tumuli,  with  long  lines  of  earth -works;  while  the 
whole  district  was  strewn  with  the  fragments  of  pottery, 
and  "  metates,"  or  stone  corn-grinders,  all  of  which  went 
to  show  that  a  large  and  industrious  population,  familiar 
with  agriculture  and  the  arts  of  the  semi  -  civilized  In- 
dians, formerly  dwelt  here. 

You  refer  particularly  to  a  district  north  of  and  imme- 
diately contiguous  to  the  Gila  Avhich  was  examined  by 
me.  This  tract  is,  ji:)<^r  excellence^  the  finest  agricultural 
district  in  our  lately-acquired  territories  lying  in  the  same 
latitude,  between  Eastern  Texas  and  the  Pacific,  for  the 
great  extent  and  richness  of  the  soil,  the  abundance  and 
excellence  of  the  water,  the  cottonwood  timber  for  build- 
ing purposes,  the  fine  quarries  of  stone  in  the  adjacent 
hills,  and  for  the  facility  with  Avhich  it  may  be  approach- 
ed from  every  quarter. 

The  district  in  question  lies  at  the  junction,  and  in  a 
measure  forms  the  delta  of  the  Salinas  and  Gila  Rivers. 
It  lies  but  a  little  above  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  might 
be,  in  consequence,  easily  irrigated.  The  arable  bottom 
land  is  from  two  to  four  miles  in  width,  and  is  overgrown 
with  mesquit,  while  on  the  river's  margin  grow  large 
cottonwoods.  The  river  we  found  to  be  from  eighty  to 
120  feet  wide,  from  two  to  four  feet  deep,  and  both  rapid 
and  clear.  In  these  respects  it  differs  from  the  Gila,  which 
is  sluggish  and  muddy  for  the  200  miles  I  followed  its 


190  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

banks.  About  forty  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river 
we  came  to  extensive  remains  of  an  ancient  race.  Here 
the  table-land  approached  to  within  a  mile  of  the  river, 
and  along  its  margin  was  an  ancient  canal  from  twenty 
to  twenty -five  feet  wide  and  about  four  deep,  which 
seemed  to  extend  a  long  distance  toward  the  mountains. 
From  this  were  lateral  canals  or  ditches,  intersecting  the 
bottom  in  all  directions  for  irrigating  it.  The  table-land 
was  covered  with  mounds  and  the  ruins  of  ancient  edi- 
fices, while  fragments  of  pottery,  stone  axes,  and  corn- 
grinders  were  scattered  over  it  for  miles,  showing  that 
it  once  sustained  a  large  population.  I  learned  from  Mr. 
Leroux,  the  famous  guide  who  accompanied  me  on  this 
occasion,  that  much  more  extensive  ruins  were  to  be 
seen  farther  up  the  river,  and  particularly  in  the  valley 
of  the  Rio  Verde,  which  were  built  of  stone.  I  speak  of 
these  to  show  the  extent  of  the  agricultural  population 
that  was  formerly  supported  here,  as  well  as  to  furnish 
an  argument  to  sustain  me  in  the  opinion  that  this  is  one 
of  the  most  desirable  positions  for  a  permanent  agricul- 
tural settlement,  Avith  a  military  post,  of  any  between  the 
Rio  Grande  and  the  Colorado. 

The  Gila  is  not  a  navigable  stream,  but  after  its  rise 
flat-bottomed  boats  loaded  with  merchandise  might  easi- 
ly pass  up  as  far  as  the  Salinas,  and  perhaps  to  the  Pimo 
villages. 

The  next  point  of  interest  is  the  valley  of  the  Colorado 
of  the  West. 

The  Colorado  is  the  largest  stream  between  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  Pacific.  It  has  many  large  tributaries, 
most  of  them,  like  itself,  bordered  with  wide  alluvial  bot- 
toms, and  all  well  wooded  ;  the  angle,  forming  the  delta 
of  the  Colorado  and  Gila  Rivers,  is  entirely  covered  with 
a  forest,  and  is  often  overflowed.  The  former  stream 
where  it  receives  the  Gila  is  about  500  yards  wide,  and 


Correspondence.  191 

after  passing  a  rocky  canon  is  much  diminished ;  yet  it 
varies  much,  according  to  the  floods,  both  in  depth  and 
width.  When  our  surveying  party  crossed  the  Colorado 
in  January,  1852,  they  found  the  water  (then  at  its  lowest 
point)  to  be  four  feet  deep  at  the  shallowest  place  where 
it  was  forded.  Six  months  later  I  found  it  thirteen  feet 
higher  at  Fort  Yuma,  with  an  actual  velocity  of  five  and 
a  quarter  miles  an  hour,  as  ascertained  by  experiment. 

The  bottom  lands  of  the  Colorado  at  Fort  Yuma,  and 
at  the  Algodones,  a  few  miles  below,  are  exceedingly  rich, 
are  well  wooded,  and  bear  the  marks  of  a  former  culti- 
vation, irrigating  canals  being  seen  in  all  directions,  even 
in  the  densest  part  of  the  forest.  Nowhere  have  I  seen 
bottom  lands  which  could  more  easily  be  irrigated,  owing 
to  the  little  elevation  of  the  banks  above  the  stream. 

Having  now  spoken  of  the  agricultural  districts  of  Ari- 
zona, and  specified  the  arable  and  the  grazing  lands,  I  will 
speak  of  its  mineral  resources.  In  doing  this  I  must  nec- 
essarily be  brief,  for  the  reason  that  its  mineral  wealth,  be- 
ing below  the  surface,  was  not  apparent  to  me  or  my  party. 

From  the  Mexicans  of  intelligence  living  in  Sonora  I 
learned  that  the  Saukita  Mountains,  lying  east  of  the  Santa 
Cruz  valley,  abounded  in  silver.  Some  of  these  mines 
had  formerly  been  worked.  West  of  this  valley,  in  the 
arid  region,  which  has  but  few  inhabitants,  are  both  silver 
and  copper  mines.  The  copper  mine  "  Del  Ajo,"  and  the 
"Santa  Teresa  and  Sopori"  silver  mines,  are  among  the 
most  celebrated. 

Many  others,  scarcely  opened,  including  gold,  silver, 
and  copper,  are  known  to  exist,  but  which  have  been 
abandoned  or  were  never  worked  for  the  Avant  of  means 
and  of  protection  against  the  Indians.  The  want  of  these 
has  led  to  the  abandonment  of  valuable  mines  throughout 
the  States  of  Chihuahua  and  Sonora ;  indeed,  I  was  told 
by  old  residents  in  these  states  that  "  hundreds"  of  mines 


192  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

had  thus  been  abandoned,  a  portion  only  having  been 
worked  to  any  extent. 

On  the  old  Spanish  maps  of  the  district  in  question 
there  are  many  towns  laid  down  in  places  near  mountains 
where  there  are  neither  grazing  or  arable  lands,  and  which 
could  only  have  been  supported  by  mining.  In  reaching 
those  portions  of  the  states  mentioned  where  the  popula- 
tion is  sufficiently  numerous  to  protect  themselves,  we 
find  silver  mines  of  great  richness  ;  but  even  these  are  but 
imperfectly  worked,  for  the  want  of  means  and  proper 
machinery.  Several  of  these  mines  I  entered  myself,  and 
saw  a  great  variety  of  specimens  of  ore  from  others.  Of 
gold,  copper,  cinnabar,  and  lead,  I  also  saw  many  fine 
specimens  taken  from  the  mountains  in  the  vicinity,  all  of 
which  tended  to  convince  me  that  these  mountains  do 
really  abound  in  these  metals.  A  careful  geological  sur- 
vey is  necessary  in  order  to  make  known  the  mineral  re- 
sources of  this  country.  Should  this  be  done,  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  express  my  belief  that  such  will  be  the  results 
that  a  large  population  will  at  once  occupy  it.  The  terri- 
tory, as  a  whole,  is  not  an  agricultural  one  ;  nevertheless, 
there  is  quite  sufficient  arable  or  agricultural  land  to  sus- 
tain any  mining  population  which  may  ever  be  fixed  here. 

It  should  be  mentioned,  too,  that  the  finest  grain  region 
in  Chihuahua  is  the  valley  of  the  Casas  Grande,  or  San 
Miguel  River,  which  is  just  south  of  our  boundary,  and 
that  Sonora,  on  the  opposite  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  is  a  fine 
grain  country. 

With  the  hope  that  these  crude  remarks,  hastily  drawn 
up,  may  aid  you  in  making  known  the  agricultural  and 
mineral  advantages  of  the  Territory  which  you  have  been 
recently  elected  to  represent  in  the  Congress  of  the  Unit- 
ed States,  I  am,  dear  sir,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

John  R.  Baetlett. 

Lieut.  S.  Mowry,  Delegate  to  Congress  > 
from  the  Territory  of  Arizona.  S 


Correspondence.  193 

From  John  C.IIays^ Esq. 

Washington,  D.  C,  February  16,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — In  answer  to  your  note  asking  my 
opinion  of  the  resources  of  Arizona  (Gadsden  Purchase), 
I  take  pleasure  in  saying  in  writing  what  I  have  already 
said  in  conversation  —  that  I  have  traveled  through  the 
Territory  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  Fort  Yuma,  and  that 
I  consider  it  one  of  the  finest  grazing  countries  I  have 
ever  seen.  The  beautiful  valleys  of  the  streams  which 
run  into  the  Gila  are  fertile,  and  will  sustain  a  very  large 
population.  I  consider  Arizona,  especially  in  view  of  its 
great  mineral  wealth,  a  most  desirable  country  for  emi- 
grants in  search  of  a  new  home,  and  confidently  look 
forward  to  its  becoming,  at  an  early  day,  a  populous  and 
wealthy  state.     Very  truly  your  friend, 

John  C.  Hays. 

To  Sylvester  Mowry,  Delegate  from  Arizona, 


From  Hon.  Joseph  Lane. 

Washington,  March  21,  1858. 

Dear  Sir, — In  regard  to  the  resources  of  Arizona, 
agricultural  and  otherwise,  I  have  to  say  that  I  traveled 
over  that  country  in  the  months  of  November  and  De- 
cember, 1848,  by  the  Rio  Mimbres ;  the  old,  deserted 
ranches  of  San  Bernardino  and  San  Pedro  to  the  settle- 
ments of  Santa  Cruz,  Tucson,  to  the  Pimo  villages ;  found 
the  cUmate  mild,  grazing  good,  and  many  rich,  beautiful, 
fertile  valleys,  capable  of  producing  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats, 
and  vegetables  sufficient  to  subsist  a  large  population. 

In  short,  I  may  say  that  I  regard  Arizona  as  an  impor- 
tant portion  of  our  country  —  rich  in  gold,  silver,  copper, 
and  other  valuable  minerals,  and  decidedly  the  best  graz- 
ing country  on  this  continent,  capable  of  subsisting  mil- 

I 


194  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

lions  of  cattle  without  the  aid  of  man.  Over  the  route 
that  I  traveled  there  are  no  serious  obstacles  to  a  good 
wagon  road  ;  the  country  is  rolling,  but  not  mountain- 
ous, over  which  you  could  travel  without  much  difficulty 
in  a  buggy  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Many  streams  of 
pure  water  are  found,  though  in  places  good  water  is 
scarce. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Joseph  Lane. 
Lieut.  Sylvester  Mowry,  Washington,  D.  C. 


From  John  Nugent^  Esq. 

Washington,  January  29,  1859. 

Sib, — I  cheerfully  give,  in  compliance  with  your  re- 
quest, my  views  (in  brief)  regarding  the  population,  soil, 
climate,  capabilities,  and  advantages  of  Arizona. 

Of  its  present  population  I  know  nothing.  My  inform- 
ation on  the  other  points  is  derived  from  travel  of  some 
two  and  a  half  months  through  the  Territory  from  east 
to  west. 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  it  has  very  remark- 
able advantages  of  climate,  and  more  than  ordinary  capa- 
bilities of  soil.  Some  portions  of  it  are  an  irreclaimable 
and  utterly  valueless  desert;  but  the  greater  part  consists 
of  fine  pasture-land  abounding  in  the  rich  gramma  and 
other  nutritious  grasses,  and  no  inconsiderable  portion 
has  the  very  finest  soil,  of  teeming  productiveness,  and  of 
limitless  agricultural  availability.  It  is  not  a  thickly 
wooded  country,  but  on  most  of  the  streams  there  is 
large  timber  and  of  different  varieties.  Many  of  the  val- 
I'eys  are  Qf  exceeding  beauty  and  fertility,  and  west  of 
the  San  Pedro  there  is  some  of  the  finest  cotton-growing 
country  in  the  world.     The  Piraos  and  Maricopas,  even 


Correqoondence.  195 

with  their  rude  culture,  ah-eady  raise  cotton  of  excellent 
quality. 

Of  its  mineral  wealth,  except  in  copper,  I  know  but  lit- 
tle. That  it  contains  some  of  the  richest  and  most  ex- 
tensive copper  mines  on  the  continent  I  have  myself 
proved  by  personal  observation. 

On  the  whole,  I  doubt  if  there  be  any  portion  of  the 
domain  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Colorado  River 
that  presents  greater  inducements  for  settlement  to  emi- 
grants from  the  old  states  than  does  the  Territory  of 
Arizona.  From  what  I  have  seen  of  it,  I  am  not  aware 
of  any  material  cause  why  it  should  not  become  in  time 
a  thriving  and  prosperous  commonwealth. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 

John  Nugent. 

Hon.  Sylyester  Mowry, 


From  Son.  Miguel  A.  Otero. 

House  of  Representatives,  Jan.  29,  1859. 
Dear  Sir, — In  compliance  with  your  request  on  yes- 
terday to  furnish  you  in  writing  what,  in  my  of^ion,  was 
two  years  ago  the  population  of  that  portion  south  of  the 
Territory  of  New  Mexico  bordering  upon  the  Rio  Grande, 
and  now  within  the  limits  of  the  proposed  Territory  of 
Arizona,  and  also  what  I  believe  may  now  be  the  popu- 
lation embraced  within  that  region  of  country,  excluding 
the  western  part  of  that  Territory,  I  take  pleasure  in  stat- 
ing to  you  that  the  number  of  people  residing  in  what  is 
generally  known  as  the  Mesilla  Valley,  on  both  sides  of 
the  Rio  Grande,  could  not  have  been  less  than  YOOO 
people  at  that  time,  when  I  canvassed  that  portion  of 
New  Mexico  for  Congress  two  years  ago.  I  had  a  good 
opportunity  of  judging  of  the  amount  of  population  in 
it  at  that  time..   The  vote  cast  there  was  about  1000; 


196  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

but  I  am  free  to  say  that  that  is  no  criterion  by  which  to 
estimate  or  judge  of  the  amount  of  population  living 
there,  because  there  were  no  more  than  one  half  of  the 
voters  who  were  able  to  vote  in  consequence  of  the  rainy 
weather  at  that  time.  Many,  too,  were  challenged  on 
the  ground  that  they  were  foreigners,  and  did  not  vote. 
If  the  weather  had  permitted  it,  and  a  full  vote  have* 
been  cast,  it  could  not  have  been  less  than  1500  or  1*700 
votes. 

I  learn  farther  that  since  that  time  much  immigration 
has  gone  into  the  country,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that 
there  are  now  at  least  2000  votes  in  the  Mesilla  Valley, 
and  about  8000  inhabitants. 

As  to  the  iDopulation  on  the  western  portion  of  the 
proposed  Territory,  I  had  no  opportunity  to  learn.  It  is 
my  belief,  however,  that  the  population  west  of  the  Me- 
silla Valley  can  not  be  less  than  2000  inhabitants,  making, 
therefore,  the  whole  population  of  the  Territory  about 
10,000  or  11,000  inhabitants.  It  may  be  even  greater 
than  this,  when  we  take  into  consideration  not  only  the 
unsettled  condition  of  the  Mexican  states  bordering  on 
that  Territory,  the  establishment  of  the  Overland  Mail 
through  it,  both  of  which  considerations  must  naturally 
conduce  to  the  increase  of  population,  but  also  the  dis- 
coveries of  gold  diggings  in  the  Gila  River.  These  facts, 
doubtless,  have  contributed  much  to  the  settlement  of 
the  country. 

Such,  sir,  is  briefly  my  judgment  with  regard  to  the 
population  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona.  You  know  that 
I  have  no  reason  to  overestimate  the  number  of  inhabit- 
ants there ;  and  what  I  state  is  no  more  than  an  impar- 
tial statement  of  fact,  which  you  are  at  liberty  to  make 
such  use  of  as  you  may  best  think. 

Truly  yours,  etc.  Miguel  A.  Otero. 

Sylvester  Mowry,  Esq. 


Correspondence.  19? 

J^om  S.  W.  Inge^  Esq. 

San  Francisco,  Cal.,  February  22d,  1863. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  received  your  letter  stating 
your  intention  to  republish  simultaneously  here  and  New 
York  your  lecture  upon  Arizona  and  Sonora,  and  asking 
*me  to  give  you  ray  impressions  of  Sonora  formed  during 
a  recent  visit  to  that  state.  The  republication  of  your 
lecture  in  view  of  the  general  attention  now  being  direct- 
ed to  the  countries  bordering  upon  the  Gulf  of  California 
will  be  opportune,  and  I  regret  my  inability  to  add  any 
thing  of  value  to  the  information  it  will  embody. 

My  exploration  of  Sonora  was  limited  to  the  territory 
lying  between  Guaymas  and  the  rich  mineral  district  of 
San  Xavier.  The  section  of  Sonora  included  between  the 
lines  of  2*7°  and  30°  north  latitude  presents  a  remarkable 
combination  of  advantages.  The  climate  is  ^^very  where 
salubrious,  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Sierra  Madrfc,  and  so  mild 
and  genial  that  the  fruits  of  the  tropics  ripen  In  the  month 
of  January  in  the  foot-hills  of  the  mountains  120  miles 
from  the  Gulf. 

The  surface  is  generally  level,  diversified  h2re  and  there 
by  isolated  mountains,  conical  or  table-topped,  which  give 
grandeur  to  the  landscape  without  occupying  much  of  the 
arable  area.  The  soil  is  of  great  depth  and  richness,  re- 
sembling in  many  localities  the  lands  of  the  Caney  and 
Brazos  in  Texas,  but  happily  exempt  from  the  malaria  of 
the  latter.  The  sugar-cane  and  other  valuable  staples  of 
the  tropics,  and  of  the  states  bordering  on  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  may  be  successfully  cultivated.  As  in  Alabama, 
the  cereals  will  mature  into  a  golden  harvest  separated 
only  by  a  hedge  or  a  highway  from  the  snowy  fleece  of 
the  cotton-plant.  The  mineral  wealth  of  this  state  is  tra- 
ditional, and  ray  examination  of  the  district  of  San  Xavier 
has  confirmed  the  truth  of  tradition.     In  this  respect 


1 98  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

Sonora  is   entitled  to  precedence   of  all  the   states  of 
Mexico. 

Having  these  natural  elements  of  wealth  and  greatness, 
with  a  sea-port  unsurpassed  in  convenience  and  security, 
I  anticipate  for  Sonora  the  same  rapid  and  wonderful  de- 
velopment that  has  been  realized  in  California. 

Yery  respectfully  yours,  S.  W.  Inge. 

Hon.  Sylvester  Mowry,  San  Francisco. 


From  Major  C.  E.  Bennett,  TI.  S.  A. 

San  Francisco,  Feb.  20th,  18G3. 

Dear  Sik,  —  In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  take 
pleasure  in  stating  that  I  resided  in  Arizona  several 
months.  During  the  past  year  1  traveled  from  California 
to  the  Rio  Grande  and  back,  via  Tucson. 

Some  portions  of  Arizona  are  valueless  tracts  of  land, 
but  the  greater  part  of  the  country  lying  between  Tucson 
and  the  Rio  Grande  is  the  Jinest  pasture-la?id  in  America. 
With  water,  which  I  have  no  doubt  can  be  obtained  in 
ample  quantities  by  Artesian  boring,  there  are  large  por- 
tions that  would  become  valuable  agricultural  districts. 
The  valleys  of  the  Rio  Grande,  Gila,  San  Pedro,  Santa 
Cruz,  and  Mimbres  Rivers  will  sustain  a  large  population  ; 
and  I  am  informed  that  the  valleys  north  of  the  Gila  River 
are  rich,  and  heavily  timbered.  I  constantly  heard  of 
great  mineral  wealth,  but  from  my  connection  with  the 
array  had  no  personal  experience  in  the  mines.  The  road 
to  the  Rio  Grande  from  Tucson  is  the  finest  natural  road 
in  the  world.* 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

C.  E.  Bennett,  Major  1st  Cav.  C.  V.,  U.  S.  A. 

Hon.  Sylvester  Mowry. 

*  General  P.  St.  George  Cooke,  U.  S.  A.,  said  the  same  thing  to  me, 
in  Washington,  some  years  ago.  — S.  M. 


Corre^ondence.  199 

From  Sam.  F.  Butterworth^  Esq. 

New  York  City,  May  25, 1864. 

Sir, — Since  reading  your  work  upon  Arizona  and  So- 
nora,  I  have  made  an  extended  journey  into  those  regions 
to  examine  certain  mines,  accompanied  by  three  accom- 
plished metallurgists  and  mining  engineers.  I  take  great 
pleasure  in  saying  that  I  find  your  work  accurate  and  re- 
liable, and  in  reference  to  the  mineral  and  agricultural  re- 
sources of  those  portions  of  Arizona  and  Sonora  visited 
by  me,  that  your  statements  are  confirmed  not  only  by 
my  own  observations,  but  also  by  the  written  opinions 
of  the  eminent  scientific  gentlemen  who  accompanied  me. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  friend  and  servant, 

Sam.  F.  Butteeworth. 

Hon.  Sylvester  Mowry,  of  Arizona,  etc.,  etc. 


200  Arizo?ia  and  So7iora. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  GOVERNMENT  AND  THE  MINES. 

The  Mines  of  the  West:   shall  the  Government  seize  them? — The 
Mining  States :  how  shall  they  be  Taxed  ? 

The  following  letters,  originally  published  in  the  New 
York  World  of  April  25,  and  the  Herald  of  May  4, 1864, 
were  received  with  so  much  favor,  that  I  gladly  acceded 
to  numerous  requests  to  publish  them  in  pamphlet  form, 
and  have  reproduced  them  in  this  volume.  My  own  ex- 
perience and  knowledge  of  the  subject  convince  me  that 
they  contain  the  essence  and  the  truth,  and  are  exhaust- 
ive of  the  subject;  but  I  should  be  more  than  ungrateful 
if  I  failed  to  acknowledge  the  w^arm  terms  of  commenda- 
tion which  I  have  received  from  friends  known,  and  oth- 
ers heretofore  unknown,  including  many  names  distin- 
guished for  sense,  patriotism,  ability,  and  high  station. 

To  have  in  the  least  degree  made  clear  the  rights  of 
the  miner  and  the  duty  of  the  legislator  w^ould  be  gratify- 
ing, and  I  am  glad  to  know  that  these  letters  have  done 
some  good.  Senator  Conness,  in  a  very  able  letter  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  has  taken  ground  in  favor  of  a 
tax  at  the  mint,  or  public  assay  offices,  on  all  bullion,  ei- 
ther silver  or  gold,  assayed,  coupled  with  a  law  prohibit- 
ing the  exportation  of  unstamped  bullion.  The  objection 
made  to  this  is,  that  it  is  a  tax  upon  the  gross  proceeds 
of  the  mines.  It  is  only  just  to  Senator  Conness  to  say 
that  he  made  this  suggestion,  knowing  that  some  tax 
would  be  laid  by  Congress,  and  he  thinks  this  the  least 
onerous.  His  views,  that  any  taxation  that  discriminates 
against  the  miners  is  unjust,  are  fully  in  accord  with  my 
own. 


The  Government  and  the  Mines,  201 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  senators  and  repre- 
sentatives refuse  obstinately  to  understand  this  question. 
To  those  who  persist  in  saying  that  these  letters  contain 
a  threat  of  secession.,  I  can  only  repeat,  it  is  no  more  a 
threat  than  it  would  be  to  say  to  a  blind  man  on  a  pier, 
"If  you  walk  twenty  steps  you  will  fall  into  the  sea." 
Those  Avho  can  not,  or  will  not,  distinguish  between  a 
threat  and  friendly  advice,  will  get  no  sympathy  when 
they  come  to  grief 

THE  MINES  OF  THE  WEST :  SHALL  THE  GOVERNMENT 
SEIZE  THEM? 

To  the  Editor  of  the  World: 

A  resolution  has  been  introduced  in  the  House  of  Rep- 
sentatives  authorizing  the  President  of  the  United  States 
to  take  possession  of  the  mines  of  Colorado  and  Arizona. 
Various  other  propositions  have  been  made,  all  looking 
to  the  best  mode  of  devising  a  revenue  from  the  mineral 
lands  for  the  support  of  the  general  government.  It  is 
deemed,  in  view  of  these  facts,  eminently  proper  to  sub- 
mit to  Congress  and  the  country  some  facts  and  argu- 
ments upon  these  great  questions,  so  important  to  the 
people  of  the  frontier,  so  vital  to  the  country,  and  so  lam- 
entably misunderstood  by  the  public  men  of  the  old 
states. 

Why  does  not  the  resolution  include  the  State  of  Cali- 
fornia and  the  Territories  of  Nevada,  Idaho,  and  New 
Mexico?  In  all  these  the  precious  metals  are  mined  to  a 
great  extent  on  public  lands.  If  the  President  is  to  take 
possession,  in  the  name  of  the  United  States,  of  a  mine  in 
Arizona  or  Colorado,  it  follows  by  inevitable  logic  that 
he  must  do  so  throughout  all  the  public  lands. 

But  what  is  a  mine?  It  is  not  simply  a  portion  of 
public  lands  where  there  is  an  outcrop  of  gold,  or  silver, 
or  copper-bearing  rock.    A  mine  is  a  developed  property, 

12 


202  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

where  capital  and  labor  have  produced  a  certain  result, 
and  which  only  has  value  according  to  the  amount  of  la- 
bor and  capital  employed  in  demonstrating  its  extent 
and  capacity  of  production.  This  necessitates  the  erec- 
tion of  extensive  buildings,  the  purchase  of  costly  machin- 
ery, sinking  shafts,  running  tunnels  and  galleries,  the  ex- 
penditure of  more  or  less  money,  often  resulting  in  irre- 
trievable loss,  sometimes  in  great  gain.  Is  it  proposed, 
in  "  taking  possession  of  the  mines,"  to  take  possession 
also  of  the  machinery,  the  houses,  the  mills,  and  the  fur- 
naces erected  by  individuals  or  companies  at  vast  ex- 
pense ? 

For  example,  the  Gould  and  Curry,  Ophir,  and  Mexican 
mines  in  Nevada  are  undoubtedly  on  public  lands.  The 
proprietors  of  these  mines  have  expended  several  millions 
of  dollars  in  permanent  improvements,  in  the  shape  of 
steam-engines,  mills,  furnaces,  and  roads.  In  opening 
and  bringing  to  the  surface  their  ores  they  have  expend- 
ed nearly  as  much  more.  To-day  they  are  deriving  a 
large  income  from  the  mines,  upon  which  they  pay  the 
usual  income  tax. 

In  Arizona,  at  the  Mowry  Silver  Mines  —  individual 
l^roperty — more  than  $300,000  in  gold  has  been  expend- 
ed in  improvements,  $50,000  of  which  went  to  defend  the 
place  against  Indians  when  the  government  withdrew 
wholly  its  protection  from  Arizona.  At  the  Heintzelman 
Mine  probably  a  similar  sum  has  been  expended.  At  the 
San  Antonio  Mine  a  large  amount.  On  Colorado  River, 
in  Arizona,  at  the  newly-discovered  silver  and  copper 
mines,  a  very  large  sum.  In  the  Territory  of  Colorado, 
where  the  exclusive  interest  is  in  mining,  as  in  Nevada, 
and  every  branch  of  industry  dependent  on  it,  millions 
have  been  expended  in  like  improvements.  Is  it  pro- 
posed, in  taking  possession  of  the  mines,  to  take  posses- 
sion also  of  their  improvements  ?     They  are  all  that  make 


The  Government  and  the  Mines.  203 

the  mines  valuable.  Without  them  you  can  not  get  a 
dollar  of  the  metals  so  indispensable  to  the  country  now. 
Does  any  sane  man  suppose  it  could  be  accomplished  if 
attempted ;  or,  if  successful,  expect  any  other  result  than 
the  total  annihilation  of  the  only  hope  of  redemption  for 
our  redundant  and  increasing  currency,  viz.,  the  produc- 
tion of  the  precious  metals  ? 

If  the  argument  is  good  that  the  President,  in  the  name 
of  the  United  States,  may  take  possession  of  the  "mines" 
{i,  e.,  the  property  of  the  miners — furnaces,  mills,  engines, 
and  houses),  why  not  take  possession  of  all  the  farms  oc- 
cupied by  our  frontier  farmers  on  unsurveyed  lands,  who 
produce  grain  and  beef  for  the  miners'  supply,  with  the 
houses  and  grist-mills,  and  horses  and  cattle  which  they 
feed  on  the  public  domain  ?  If  the  miners  are  trespass- 
ers, so  are  the  farmers — more  so,  in  fact,  for  the  farmers 
only  exist  because  the  miners  find  the  money  to  pay  for 
their  produce. 

The  logical  sequence  of  this  is  indisputable,  and  the 
passage  of  such  a  law  as  contemplated,  if  it  could  be  en- 
forced, would  at  once  put  an  end  to  our  extending  civili- 
zation ;  and  the  great  American  desert,  which  has  been 
made,  in  spite  of  governmental  negligence  and  loorse.  to 
"  blossom  as  the  rose,"  would  return  to  its  pristine  worth- 
lessness. 

Leaving  out  of  the  question  the  State  of  California, 
where  the  miners'  code,  established  in  each  mining  dis- 
trict, is  most  wisely  adopted  by  the  Legislature  and  the 
courts  as  a  part  of  the  public  law,  precisely  as  usage  has 
established  the  lex  mercatoria;  and  where  all  the  gold, 
and  silver,  and  copper  has  been  produced  by  individual 
enterprise  or  associated  capital  —  look  at  Colorado  and 
Nevada.  Two  great  and  growing  states  have  grown  up 
in  a  period  wonderfully  brief  by  the  discovery  and  devel- 
opment of  the  mines.    Hostile  tribes  have  been  subdued. 


204  Arizojia  and  Sonora. 

cities  built,  civilization  extended,  the  Pacific  drawn  to. 
ward  the  Atlantic  in  a  friendly  and  eternal  grasp,  every 
branch  of  industry  stimulated,  an  immense  sura  in  actual 
and  transferable  wealth  added  to  the  commerce  of  the 
world — how  ?  By  the  action  of  the  government  ?  Stim» 
nlated  by  the  government?  Assisted  by  the  govern> 
ment?  Aoy  in  spite  of  the  government — without  help, 
without  interference,  except  for  the  worse — by  individ- 
ual enterprise,  and  the  marvelous,  indomitable  energy  of 
the  people.  Something  by  associated  capital;  vastly  more 
by  the  strong  arms  and  never-faihng  hearts  of  the  men  of 
all  parts  of  the  world. 

Suppose  these  people  had  waited  for  the  government 
to  survey  these  lands,  and  point  out  and  lease  these  mines, 
would  Nevada  or  Colorado  be  known  to-day  ?  And  do 
sensible  men  propose  7ioio  to  take  the  proceeds  of  all  this 
labor  and  intelligence,  and  say  to  the  miners,  "  You  are 
trespassers  on  the  public  domain  ?"  Does  any  sane  man 
suppose  there  is  power  enough  in  this  government,  or 
any  other  under  the  sun,  to  do  it  ? 

The  incidental  revenue  derived  already  by  the  country 
from  the  mines  in  operation  is  vastly  more  than  could  be 
obtained  from  any  sale  of  the  public  mineral  lands  that 
could  be  devised,  and  the  vast  addition  to  the  material 
wealth  of  the  world,  and  the  exhibit  of  our  material  re- 
sources, every  day  increasing,  show  conclusively  the  wis- 
dom of  non-interference  with  a  policy  so  emincHtly  bene- 
ficial. 

An  inventor  of  some  useful  machine  is  invested  by  the 
government  with  an  exclusive  right  to  his  invention  for 
fourteen  years — often  this  time  is  extended.  He  is  pro- 
tected by  laws  in  his  rights,  and  any  one  infringing  upon 
them  is  punished.  In  what  does  the  inventor  differ  from 
the  miner?  The  miner  goes  into  the  desert  or  the  Avil- 
derncss.     At  the  risk  of  life  and  health,  he  discovers  and 


The  Government  and  the  Mines.  205 

develops  a  mine.  He  adds,  as  does  the  inventor,  to  the 
material  wealth  of  the  world ;  or  more  often  he  dies 
alone,  neglected,  forgotten,  his  bones  are  gnawed  by  the 
wolves,  his  fate  unknown  to  his  nearest  friends,  and  his 
memory  a  blank.  The  inventor  is  rewarded  and  protect- 
ed, and  his  fame  is  at  least  dear  to  his  kin.  Is  it  pro- 
posed to  take  from  the  rarely  successful  miner  the  prop- 
erty he  has  created,  brand  him  as  a  trespasser  and  a  crim- 
inal, and,  in  the  name  of  the  government,  which  has  nev- 
er helped  him  and  his  peculiar  business,  say  to  him,  "Your 
labor,  your  brains,  your  courage,  your  property,  belongs 
to  the  United  States ;  go  look  for  more,  and  then  we  will 
take  that  also  ?" 

There  is  a  case  pertinent  and  on  hand  of  the  power  of 
the  government  to  seize  a  mine. 

In  July,  1863^  the  President  of  the  United  States  di- 
rected the  United  States  Marshal  for  the  Northern  Dis- 
trict of  California  to  take  possession  of  the  New  Almaden 
Quicksilver  Mine.  General  Wright,  commanding  the  De- 
partment of  the  Pacific,  was  ordered  to  furnish  troops  to 
enforce  the  seizure.  The  marshal  and  the  troops  pro- 
ceeded on  their  errand,  and  found  the  mine  fortified 
against  attack.  Did  they  seize  the  mine?  By  no  means. 
The  excitement  throughout  the  state  was  intense.  The 
present  governor,  F.  F.  Low,  leading  bankers,  merchants, 
and  capitalists,  telegraphed  to  Washington,  "  For  God's 
sake,  withdraw  the  order  to  seize  the  New  Almaden,  or 
there  will  be  a  revolution  in  the  state."  Did  the  min- 
ers telegraph  to  Washington  ?  No.  They  armed  them- 
selves, and  informed  the  superintendent  of  the  Almaden 
mines  by  telegraph  that  they  were  coming  to  his  assist- 
tance  by  hundreds  and  thousands,  and  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  with  a  rare  discretion,  not  only  recall- 
ed the  order,  but  disavowed  it,  or  his  organ  disavowed 
it  for  him,  saying  it  had  been  obtained  by  fraud,  and 


206  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

and  the  possessors  remained  in  quiet  possession  of  their 
mine. 

No  stronger  case  in  support  of  my  argument  can  be  ad- 
duced. The  New  Almaden  mines  were  possessed  by  for- 
eigners. They  had  often  charged  what  the  miners  thought 
exorbitant  prices  for  quicksilver.  So  far  from  there  being 
any  sympathy  for  them,  there  was  rather  an  antipathy 
against  them,  and  yet  the  state  rallied  as  one  man  against 
their  being  forcibly  dispossessed  of  their  raining  property 
by  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  full 
view  of  the  fact  that  the  Supreme  Court  had  decided  that 
they  had  no  title.  Can  not  Congress  draw  wisdom  from 
this  fact  ? 

The  United  States  once  tried  the  plan  of  working  mines, 
and  all  the  world  knows  how  it  succeeded.  Let  the  issue 
of  the  government  scheme  for  working  the  Galena  lead 
mines  be  a  warning  against  another  attempt.  The  dan- 
ger and  loss  then  was  small.     To-day  both  would  be  fatal. 

How  is  the  government  to  distinguish  between  mines 
on  public  lands  and  those  upon  the  old  French  and  Mex- 
ican grants  ?  No  title  is  recognized  in  these  old  grants 
until  it  is  affirmed  by  the  United  States,  and  a  j^atent  is- 
sued. Chief  Justice  Field,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Cali- 
fornia, in  his  decision  of  the  Mariposa  (Fremont)  case,  full 
of  learning — and  so  sound  in  its  law  that  it  commands  the 
assent  of  every  good  lawyer  and  the  concurrence  of  all 
miners— declares  that  the  minerals  belong  to  the  owner 
of  the  grant.  If  to-day  the  government  seizes  a  mine 
upon  lands  which  prove  a  year  hence  to  be  upon  a  Mex- 
ican grant,  reclamation  will  surely  follow.  The  trespasser 
then  becomes  the  government.  Is  it  worth  Avhile  taking 
such  a  risk  ? 

In  1859,  I  asked  the  Hon.  Jacob  Thompson,  then  Sec- 
retary of  the  Interior,  the  question,  *'  If  a  man  locates  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  finds  a  mine  on  it, 


The  'Government  and  the  Mines,  207 

and  works  it  successfully,  and  afterward  Congress  should 
pass  a  law  segregating  the  mineral  lands,  can  his  quarter 
section  be  taken  from  him  under  such  law,  even  if  the 
land  taken  up  was  unsurveyed  ?"  Mr.  Thompson  replied, 
"Undoubtedly  not.  The  taking  away  from  the  miner  the 
land  would  be  giving  an  ex  post  facto  action  of  the  law, 
and  the  government  would  have  lost  its  right  to  reclaim 
by  its  own  laches."  The  Hon.  John  Cochrane,  then  M. 
C,  now  Attorney  General  for  the  State  of  New  York,  was 
present,  and  was  appealed  to  by  the  Secretary  for  his 
opinion.  Mr.  Cochrane  said,  "  The  Secretary's  opinion 
was  undoubtedly  good  law."  I  asked  Mr.  Thompson  for 
his  opinion  as  expressed  in  writing.  He  declined  to  give 
it  on  the  ground  of  inexpediency,  and  because  it  was  only 
a  supposititious  case.  I  presume  Mr.  Cochrane  will  re- 
member, if  he  tries,  this  conversation. 

A  power  like  this  proposed,  if  it  could  be  made  avail- 
able, would  give  to  the  President  an  amount  of  patronage 
fearful  to  contemplate.  Every  mine  now  in  operation 
Avould  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  some  favorite  or  political 
aspirant.  The  proceeds  of  the  mine  would  go  into  the 
capacious  pockets  of  the  innumerable  tribe  of  leeches  who 
daily  deplete  the  public  treasury,  and  the  government 
would  derive  no  revenue  at  all  from  its  apparent  proprie- 
torship. A  case  clearly  in  point,  which  I  ask  pardon  for 
introducing,  as  it  is  my  property  of  which  I  am  about  to 
speak. 

Nearly  two  years  ago,  the  Mowry  Silver  Mines  in  Ari- 
zona were  seized  by  a  brigadier  general,  whose  name  shall 
not  disgrace  this  letter,  and  a  marshal  of  the  United  States, 
in  the  name  of  the  United  States.  The  mines  were  then 
producing  about  $700  per  day ;  in  a  few  weeks  they  would 
have  been  producing  $1500  per  day,  and  by  the  close  of 
the  year  1861  double  that  sum. 

By  a  nice  little  arrangement  between  the  brigadier  gen- 


208  Arizona  and  JSonora'. 

eral  and  the  marshal  aforesaid,  the  mines  were  leased  to 
a  third  party  in  the  name  of  the  government  for  |100  per 
month.  Net  result  to  the  government :  $100  per  month, 
paid  by  the  mine,  and  charged  by  the  marshal  for  travel- 
ing expenses.  Kesult  to  the  brigadier  general  and  mar- 
shal :  several  thousand  dollars  per  month.  The  worst  of 
the  matter  is  to  come.  "No  improvements  have  been  made 
at  the  mines  to  increase  their  product ;  and  instead  of  their 
producing,  as  they  can  and  ought,  |5000  per  day,  they 
produce  no  more  than  they  did  two  years  ago ;  and  this 
will  always  be  the  case  if  the  government  attempts  to 
work  the  mines  on  its  own  account. 

Any  such  legislation  as  this  proposed  at  once  puts  an 
end  to  "  prospecting,"  and  the  farther  development  of  the 
vast  undiscovered  mineral  wealth  of  the  country.  Men 
are  not  going  to  work,  to  have  the  j^rofits  of  their  labor 
taken  from  them  by  hostile  legislation.  Does  the  govern- 
ment intend  to  "prospect"  on  its  own  account?  Where 
is  the  authority  to  build  mills  and  furnaces,  and  houses  to 
work  the  mines  ?  And  if  the  authority  is  found,  where 
is  the  government  to  get  the  money  to  do  it  ? 

The  truth  of  the  matter  lies  in  a  nutshell.  No  power 
on  earth  can  enforce  any  legislation  which  proposes  to 
take  possession  of  the  mines,  and  the  sooner  this  is  under- 
stood the  better.  The  people  of  California,  Colorado,  Ne- 
vada, Idaho,  and  Arizona  will  rise  eji  masse  against,  it. 
Therefore,  let  Congress  be  warned  in  time.  The  hold  of 
the  .Union  on  the  Pacific  empire  is  purely  one  of  feeling 
and  sentiment.  Touch  our  mining  tenure  with  a  rougli 
hand,  and  you  turn  the  warmest  feeling  of  the  strongest 
Union  man,  the  most  earnest  Democrat,  and  the  most  de- 
voted Republican,  into  hate  and  undying  enmity.  "We 
have,  through  much  suffering,  out  of  your  waste  of  worth- 
less public  domain,  made  thriving  commonwealths.  Ev- 
ery part  of  the  country  is  benefited  by  our  labor,  and,  hi 


The  Government  and  the  Mines,  209 

our  own  way,  we  daily  add  to  this  store — more  to  the 
country  than  to  ourselves.  For  our  part,  in  Arizona,  neg- 
lected and  oppressed  by  the  government  for  years,  nine 
out  of  ten  of  us  massacred  by  the  Indians — what  we  have 
made  our  own,  gained  by  passing  through  the  "very 
shadow  of  death,"  is  worth  more  than  money  can  purchase. 
Now  that  our  property  is  safe  and  productive,  and  of  great 
value,  we  do  not  propose  to  surrender  it,  nor  to  be  called 
trespassers,  nor  to  have  it  taken  from  us  by  legislation, 
nor  any  thing  but  an  overwhelming  force.  I  believe  I 
speak  the  sentiments  of  every  man  who  owns  or  works  a 
foot  of  mining  ground  any  where  in  the  limits  of  the  Unit- 
ed States  ;  and  upon  this  point  I  beg  the  doubting  to  con- 
verse with  any  miner  they  know.  Let  any  public  man 
question  my  distinguished  friend,  Mr.  Justice  Field,  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  as  to  his  opinion  of  such  legislation  as  is 
proposed  upon  the  people  of  California. 

The  only  rational  way  to  treat  this  subject  is  to  devise 
an  equitable  mode  of  taxation,  at  the  same  time  giving  to 
actual  possessors  of  mines  on  public  lands  undisputed  ten- 
ure. The  old  Spanish  mining  ordinances — the  collective 
wisdom  of  three  centuries — gave  to  the  mining  interest 
every  protection  that  could  be  devised ;  free  importation 
of  machinery,  quicksilver,  all  the  aids  to  developing  the 
mines,  gave  undisputed  and  rigidly  protected  tenure  to 
the  discoverer  and  purchaser  of  mines,  enforced  their  la- 
borers, and  demanded,  in  return  for  government  aid,  a 
fixed  royalty,  or  tax,  payable  at  the  stamp  (assay)  offices 
in  each  district  established  for  that  purpose. 

In  the  infancy  (magnificent  thought  it  is)  of  our  miner- 
al development  no  better  precedent  can  be  followed  than 
the  wisdom  of  the  Spanish  law.  Give  the  miners  titles  to 
their  mines,  and  impose  a  fair  tax.  It  will  be  paid  readi- 
ly and  honestly.  If  it  is  made  onerous  it  will  impede  the 
opening  of  new  mines,  and  thus  "  kill  the  goose  with  the 
golden  QQ^^P 


210  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

While  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  all  miners  suc- 
cessful or  all  mines  rich,  it  is  an  indubitable  fact  that  min- 
ing is  henceforth  to  be  one  of  the  great  legitimate  branch- 
es of  industry  in  the  country,  inferior  to  none,  constantly 
growing,  and  the  only  hope  of  salvation  to  the  country 
from  bankruptcy — the  sole  hope  of  paying  even  the  inter- 
est on  our  public  debt,  as  pledged,  in  gold.  Let  Congress 
touch  this  matter  delicately.  Any  legislation  which  pro- 
poses to  take  away  from  actual  bona  fide  possessors  their 
mines  can  have  but  one  of  two  results — a  forcible  stoppage 
of  the  production  of  the  precious  metals  by  a  seizure  of 
the  mines  by  an  army  larger  than  that  now  in  the  field, 
or  a  rising  of  the  people  of  the  frontier  that  no  army  can 
put  down.  Is  it  wise  to  try  the  experiment  ? 
Your  obedient  servant, 

Sylvester  Mowey. 
New  York,  April  24th. 


THE  MINING  STATES :  HOW  SHALL  THEY  BE  TAXED  ? 

To  the  Editor  of  the  New  York  Herald: 
In  your  issue  of  Tuesday  last,  you  say,  "  Mr.  Sylvester 
Mowry  has  published  a  long  letter,  stating  that  the  min- 
ing states  would  rebel,  secede,  and  smash  and  nullify  ev- 
ery thing,  if  Congress  attempted  to  take  possession  of 
what  belongs  to  the  government  in  those  regions." 

The  Herald  has  never  treated  any  thing  I  have  writ- 
ten in  reference  to  Arizona  or  the  Pacific  slope  unfairly, 
and  I  am  sure  it  does  not  intend  to  misrepresent  my  let- 
ter to  the  World.  But  it  appears  to  me  quite  clear  that, 
in  your  remarks  quoted  above,  you  beg  the  question  at 
issue :  Do  the  mines  that  have  been  occupied  and  work- 
ed for  years,  without  prohibition,  and  with  the  implied 
assent  of  the  government,  and  upon  which  costly  im- 


The  Government  and  the  Mines.  211 

provements  have  been  made,  belong  to  the  government  ? 
The  question  is  not,  Shall  the  government  seize  its  own  ? 
but.  Shall  it  take  the  property  of  the  miners  ? 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  right  and  power  of  the 
government  to  segregate  the  unoccupied  mineral  lands, 
to  appoint  agents  and  scientific  experts  to  examine  and 
select  them,  and  to  fix  a  price  per  acre  or  per  foot.  It  is 
purely  a  question  of  expediency ;  it  would  be,  beyond 
question,  a  most  foolish  thing  to  do.  Any  man  of  sense, 
who  examines  the  subject,  can  see  this  at  a  glance,  if  he 
looks  at  what  has  been  done  without  government  inter- 
ference by  individual  enterprise,  and  counts  up  the  vast 
addition  to  the  productive  power  and  wealth  of  the  coun- 
try derived  from  the  mines  now  in  operation.  It  is 
equally  clear  that  the  government  has  neither  the  right 
nor  the  power  to  seize  the  mines  now  held  and  Avorked 
by  actual  possessors,  and,  I  think,  until  some  one  shows 
the  contrary,  that  my  letter  to  the  World  shows  this  con- 
clusively. At  least  every  man,  whether  practical  miner 
or  capitalist,  who  owns  mining  shares,  agrees  with  me ; 
and  neither  in  numbers  nor  means  are  we  to  be  despised, 
if  it  is  to  be  made  a  question  offeree. 

When  did  the  government  ever  get  more  than  the 
price  fixed  by  law  for  unsurveyed  public  lands,  which  had 
been  settled  on,  improved,  and  made  worth  thousands  of 
dollars  per  acre,  instead  of  the  entering  price  %\  25, 
Avhen  they  were  surveyed  and  sold  ? 

The  sales  of  Leavenworth  City,  and  other  valuable 
points  in  Kansas,  are  a  good  illustration.  In  the  very 
teeth  of  a  large  force  of  the  regular  army,  these  lands 
were  bid  off  by  a  combination  of  settlers  at  the  govern- 
ment price,  %\  25  per  acre.  Any  man  who  attempted  to 
bid  over  this  price  was  then  and  there  killed.  That  was 
only  "  a  tempest  in  a  teapot ;"  but  it  is  worth  while  re- 
membering.    The  House   of  Representatives   has   done 


212  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

wisely  in  laying  on  the  table  the  very  extraordinary 
proposition  of  one  of  its  members,  authorizing  the  Pres- 
ident to  take  possession  of  the  mines  of  Colorado  and 
Arizona.  I  congratulate  the  Hon.  Mr.  Washburne  upon 
his  very  sensible  remarks,  "  that  the  President  could  only 
do  it  by  use  of  military  power,  and  that  might  produce 
civil  war ;"  and  I  am  glad  to  find  so  eminent  a  Republic- 
an, and  therefore  government  authority,  so  entirely  in  ac- 
cord with  the  views  of  the  miners. 

There  have  been  three  propositions  of  decisive  legisla- 
tion upon  the  subject  of  the  mines  introduced  in  Con- 
gress— two  in  the  House,  and  one  in  the  Senate.  They 
can  only  be  characterized  in  their  order  of  introduction, 
bad,  worse,  worst.  Neither  of  the  distinguished  sena- 
tors from  California  or  Oregon,  or  the  members  of  Con- 
gress from  California  or  the  mining  territories,  except 
the  unfortunate  member  from  Colorado,  have  attempted 
to  touch  this  subject.  Why?  Because  they  knew  its 
difficulties,  and,  knowing  them,  are  content  to  "  let  well 
enough  alone."  It  is  a  great  pity  that  members  or  sena- 
tors from  the  old  states  should  not  imitate  their  wise  ex- 
ample. The  product  of  their  brains,  and  their  knowledge 
of  the  subject,  thus  far  made  public,  afford  a  new  reading 
of  an  old  line,  "Fools  rush  in  where  wise  men  fear  to 
tread." 

The  Herald^  in  the  editorial  of  Sunday,  May  1st,  ad- 
mits that  mining  is  not  always  the  successful  business  it 
is  generally  represented  to  be,  and  that  its  profits  are  not 
so  great  as  generally  imagined.  Does  it  not  follow  from 
this  admission  that  an  onerous  taxation  would  be  not 
only  unjust,  but  also  unwise? 

There  are  numerous  mines  in  operation  to-day  which 
produce  large  sums  monthly,  every  dollar  of  which  goes 
to  the  further  development  of  the  mines,  to  the  purchase 
and  erection   of  exjDensive  machinery,  and,  in  addition. 


The  Government  and  the  Mines.  213 

large  assessments  arc  called  for  from  the  stockholders. 
This  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  success  of  the  mines. 
Generally  stockholders  are  poor,  interest  is  fabulously 
high  —  from  three  to  ten  per  cent,  per  month  in  mining 
districts  on  mining  stocks  not  paying  dividends.  If  a 
tax  is  laid  on  the  gross  proceeds  of  the  mines,  is  it  not  at 
once  apparent  that  you  impede,  if  not  absolutely  stop, 
the  further  development  of  non-paying  mines  ?  One  of 
the  most  famous  of  the  Nevada  mines,  the  Mexican,  own- 
ed in  whole  or  in  part  by  Duncan,  Sherman  &  Co.,  had 
its  net  income  stopped  for  months,  in  a  single  day,  by  a 
"  slide."  Had  the  owners  been  poor  men,  and  the  gross 
proceeds  been  onerously  taxed,  the  mine  would  have 
stopped  altogether,  and  so  much  have  been  taken  from 
the  actual  wealth  of  the  country.  This  illustration  ap- 
plies with  tenfold  force  to  the  mines  owned  and  worked 
by  poor  men,  struggling  along,  paying  enormous  interest 
— working  like  beavers,  and  living  like  beggars — on  what, 
after  all,  may,  and  too  often  does,  prove  a  delusive  hope. 
It  is  proposed  to  tax  such  men  and  such  property.  It 
amounts  simply  to  taxing  a  man  for  what  he  has  not  got ; 
and,  worse  than  that,  to  put  to  death  all  "  prospecting," 
and  to  stop  at  once  every  mine  that  did  not  yield  an 
enormous  profit.  The  argument  that  the  products  of  the 
mines  should  pay  an  extra  tax,  because  the  mines  are  on 
public  lands,  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  grain,  the 
beef,  and  every  product  of  the  settler  on  public  lands. 
In  fact,  if  it  is  right  to  discriminate,  the  discrimination 
should  be  against  the  farmer  or  the  grazier,  as  his  work 
is  light,  and  his  capital  nothing  compared  w^ith  that  of 
the  miner,  while  his  profits  are  more  certain.  Such  a 
policy  is  certainly  unjust.  It  is,  beyond  question,  un- 
wise. 

Hardly  was  my  letter  to  the  World  telegraphed  to 
California,  with  the  news  that  Congress  proposed  a  tax 


214  Arizo7ia  and  Sonora. 

of  five  per  cent,  on  the  gross  yield  of  the  mines,  before 
the  wires  sent  back  a  loud  remonstrance  from  all  parts 
of  the  state.     The  telegram  to  the  Associated  Press  says, 

"  Considerable  excitement  prevailed  over  the  state  in 
consequence  of  the  proposition  to  tax  mining  produce 
five  per  cent.  The  policy  is  thought  to  be  wrong,  and 
the  tax  excessive." 

A  dispatch  to  Duncan,  Sherman  &  Co.,  from  their  San 
Francisco  correspondents  (Alsop  &  Co.),  which  has  been 
kindly  placed  at  my  disposal,  says : 

"  San  Francisco,  April  30,  1864. 
"  Do  all  in  your  power  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the 
law  taxing  the  gross  proceeds  of  mines.     It  will  be  ruin- 
ous to  California." 

Again,  the  general  dispatch  of  May  2d,  says : 

"  Best  mining  stocks  have  depreciated  five  per  cent., 
owing  to  the  proposition  to  tax  mines.  Great  feeling  is 
manifested  on  the  subject.  Nothing  has  been  heard  from 
the  interior  yet." 

Do  you  propose  to  fan  this  flame  of  discontent  into 
a  fire  you  can  not  quench  ?  Is  it  prudent  or  politic  to 
interfere  with  a  system  which  has  worked  so  well  for 
nearly  half  a  generation  ?  Is  the  senator  from  Michigan 
wise  enough  to  devise  a  scheme  which  will  reduce  to  a 
system  in  Washington  all  the  mining  laws  of  all  the  min- 
ing districts  in  California  and  the  mining  territories? 
Does  he,  or  any  other  public  man,  understand  the  subject 
so  well  that  he  can,  at  one  stroke  of  his  pen,  "  wipe  out" 
a  system  which  has  worked  so  well,  and  which  forms  an 
integral  part  of  the  jurisprudence  of  California,  Nevada, 
Colorado,  and  Oregon,  and  under  which  vested  rights  of 
years'  standing  have  been  established  ? 

For  many  years  the  manufacturers  of  cotton  goods  and 


The  Government  and  the  Mines.  215 

of  iron  were  protected  by  a  high  tariff.  To-day  the  cod 
fisheries  are  protected  and  rewarded  Avith  bounties.  Is 
it  now  proposed,  in  the  very  death-agony  of  the  republic, 
to  strike  a  fatal  blow,  by  unjust  and  suicidal  taxation,  at 
the  very  greatest  hope  of  the  country,  viz.,  the  protection 
of  the  precious  metals  ? 

The  wisest  thing  that  the  present  Congress  can  do — 
the  only  thing  it  can  do  of  service  to  the  government  and 
justice  to  the  miner — is  to  irap6se  a  fair  tax  on  the  net 
proceeds  of  the  mines.  A  system  of  mining  laws  can  not 
be  made  in  a  day,  if  it  is  expected  to  be  useful  or  to  be 
enforced.  The  man  who  devises  a  code  of  mining  laws 
which  shall  do  equal  justice  to  the  rightful  claims  of  the 
government  and  to  the  just  claims  of  the  miner  —  which 
provides  a  fair  revenue  and  yet  secures  the  title  to  the 
actual  possessor  of  the  mines,  will  approve  himself  a 
statesman  indeed,  and  will  deserve  well  of  his  country. 
His  fame  will  rest  upon  a  secure  foundation,  and  "  will 
endure,  not  for  twenty,  years  but  for  twenty  centuries." 

Nothing  in  my  letter  to  the  Worlds  nor  in  this,  can 
fairly  be  construed  as  a  threat.  It  is  no  more  a  threat 
than  it  would  be  to  say  to  a  blind  man  on  a  pier,  totally 
ignorant  of  his  position,  "  If  you  walk  twenty  steps  for- 
ward you  will  fall  into  the  sea."  I  have  made  a  simple 
statement  of  facts,  supported  by  what  we  (the  miners, 
not  the  speculators  nor  "bubble"  blowers)  conceive  to 
be  sound  argument,  founded  on  right,  equity,  and  justice. 
If  these  facts  can  be  denied,  or  these  arguments  contro- 
verted, let  some  one  undertake  it.  The  importance  of 
the  subject  can  hardly  be  overestimated.  Mr.  Caleb 
Cushing,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  me  a  short  time  since, 
says: 

"  Porter,  in  his  '  Progress  of  the  Nation,'  shows  how 
the  augmented  demand  for  British  coal  and  iron,  by  rea- 
son of  the  introduction  of  steam  as  a  motive  power,  and 


216  Arizona  and  Sojiora. 

that  of  railroads,  saved  Great  Britain  from  bankruptcy 
during  the  generation  next  following  the  close  of  her  pro- 
tracted struggle  with  Napoleon  and  France.  I  look  to 
our  mineral  resources,  not  of  iron  and  coal  only,  but  of 
gold,  silver,  mercury,  copper,  lead,  zinc,  as  the  most  prob- 
able means  of  our  salvation  in  the  years  next  after  the 
conclusion  of  the  present  unhappy  civil  war." 

There  can  not  be  a  thinking  man  in  this  country  who 
does  not  believe  that  this  opinion  is  sound.  All  that  we 
(the  miners)  desire  is,  that  common  sense  shall  prevail, 
as  much  for  the  benefit  of  the  government  as  for  our  own 
interests.     Your  obedient  servant, 

Sylvester  Mowry. 

New  York,  May  2, 1864. 


Tke  Southern  Railroad  Boute  to  the  Pacijlc.     217 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  SOUTHERN  RAILROAD  ROUTE  TO  THE  PACIFIC/ 

Jefferson  Davis  on  the  Route  of  the  32d  Parallel :  All  Routes  present 
Obstacles;  this  the  fewest. — Lieutenant  Parke's  Surveys. — Dis- 
tances.— The  Office  Examination. — The  Jornado. — Water  and 
Timber, — Distances  and  Elevations. — Mr.  A.  H.  Campbell's  Report. 
— Temperature. — Opinions  of  Marcy  and  Emory. — Table  of  Com- 
parative Lengths  and  Costs. — General  Considerations.^National 
Importance  of  a  Pacific  Railroad. 

I  WILL  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  only 
remaining  line,  the  route  of  the  thirty-secoyid  parallel.  I 
hope  I  am  not  expected  to  make  it  quite  smooth,  or 
find  water  at  convenient  distances,  cultivable  land,  and 
timber  continuously  along  the  route.  I  know  of  no  such 
route  across  our  Territories.  I  wish  I  did.  If  there 
were  a  route  where  it  was  thus  made  easy  to  build  a  rail- 

*  The  following  summary  of  the  advantages  of  the  Southern  Route 
along  the  32d  parallel  (which  traverses  Arizona)  is  from  the  conclu- 
sive speech  of  the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States,  delivered  in  January,  1859.  This  extract  formed  the  appen- 
dix to  the  first  edition  of  this  work.  It  is  reproduced  here,  as  no  later 
investigations  invalidate  the  statements  then  made.  The  political 
events  which  have  taken  place  since  the  delivery  of  this  speech  in  no 
wise  alter  the  physical  facts  here  so  clearly  set  forth.  No  one  could 
deal  more  fully  and  intelligibly  with  the  great  subject  of  a  railroad 
communication  across  the  continent  than  has  Mr.  Davis ;  and  I  have 
no  comment  to  make  upon  his  complete  vindication  of  the  ^Sotlthern 
Route,  except  to  say  that  the  officers  of  the  army  who  made  these  ex- 
plorations are  men  who  understand  their  duty,  and  have  no  object  to 
subserve  except  to  gain  an  honorable  reputation  by  the  fidelity  and 
.thoroughness  of  their  reports.  I  am  able,  from  personal  observation, 
to  bear  testimony  to  the  signal  ability  with  which  these  duties  have 
been  discharged.  It  is  understood  that  Lieutenant  J.  C.  Ives,  Topo- 
graphical Engineer,  who  assisted  Captain  "Whipple  in  his  survey  of 
the  35th  parallel  route,  called  the  Albuquerque,  and  who  has  since 
been  over  both  this  and  the  32d  parallel,  gives  the  most  decided  pref- 
erence to  the  Southern  Route. — S.  M. 

K 


218  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

road,  we  might  feel  a  more  happy  security  for  the  future. 
It  would  bring  in  its  train  not  only  the  construction  of 
such  a  work,  but  that  continuous  population  which  is 
needful  to  bind  the  two  parts  of  the  country  together. 
Knowing  no  such  line,  I  believe  it  is  a  Herculean  task  to 
construct  the  road,  attempt  it  where  you  will.  Go  on 
what  parallel  of  latitude  you  may,  all  you  can  do  is  to 
take  the  least  of  most  serious  obstacles.  I  reached  the 
conclusion  that  the  difficulties  were  least  on  the  thirty- 
second  parallel ;  not  that  they  were  light.  This  conclu- 
sion was  based  upon  the  information  possessed  at  that 
time.  Subsequent  explorations  have  materially  improved 
the  location  upon  the  route,  as  I  shall  proceed  to  show, 
first  describing  the  section  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the 
Pimos  villages.     The  office  examination  says : 

"  After  ascending  from  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Rio  Grande,  in  trav- 
ersing the  region  examined  by  Lieutenant  Parke  between  these  two 
rivers,  from  Dona  Ana  to  the  Pimos  villages,  one  appears  to  be  trav- 
eling on  a  great  plain,  interrupted  irregularly  and  confusedly  by  bare, 
rugged,  abrupt,  isolated  mountain  masses,  or  short  ranges,  seemingly, 
though  not  in  reality,  without  system.  Winding  around  these  isolated 
or  lost  mountains,  or  using  a  few  passes  through  them,  a  railroad  may 
be  constructed  with  easy  grades.  Except  through  the  mountain  pass- 
es, the  surface  is  so  smooth  as  to  require  but  little  preparation  to  re- 
ceive the  superstructure  of  a  railroad  ;  and  even  in  the  two  most  diffi- 
cult of  the  passes  (where,  in  one  case,  deep  cutting  or  a  tunnel  at  the 
summit,  near  the  surface,  in  rock,  with  heavy  side-cuttings  and  high 
embankments  for  short  distances,  and  in  the  other  a  short  cut  of  sixty 
feet  —  probably  through  rock—  are  proposed  by  Lieutenant  Parke  to 
attain  grades  of  forty-six  feet  and  ninety  feet  per  mile,  or  less  by  in- 
creasing distance)  the  natural  slope  of  the  ground  may  be  used  for  a 
railroad  for  temporary  purposes,  and  until  the  road  itself  can  reduce 
the  cost  of  materials  and  supplies  to  the  lowest  rates." 

The  re-survey  by  Lieutenant  Parke  shows  that  these 
two  most  difficult  passes  may  be  avoided.  In  relation  to 
the  supply  of  water  upon  this  part  of  tlie  route,  the  report 
of  the  secretary  says ; 


The  Southern  Railroad  Route  to  the  Pacific.      219 

"The  great  difficulty  experienced  in  crossing  this  district  is  in  the 
long  distances  over  which  no  water  is  found  at  certain  seasons.  The 
survey  by  Lieutenant  Parke  was  made  during  the  dryest  season  of  the 
year,  and,  irrespective  of  the  springs  found  at  intermediate  points,  the 
whole  distance  between  the  two  rivers  Rio  Grande  and  Gila  may  be 
divided  into  five  spaces,  varying  from  eighty  to  fifty-three  miles  in 
length,  at  the  termination  of  which  large  permanent  supplies  of  water 
are  found  at  the  most  unfavorable  seiison  of  the  year." 

These  spaces  and  points  are : 

From  the  Eio  Grande  to  the  Rio  Mimbres 71  miles. 

From  the  Rio  Mimbres  to  the  stream  of  the  Valle  del  Saux...72     " 

From  the  Valle  del  Saux  to  the  San  Pedro 80     " 

From  the  San  Pedro  to  Tucson.. 53     " 

From  Tucson  to  the  Gila 79-  *' 

Intermediate  between  these  streams  arc  permanent 
springs,  and  the  new  survey  has  improved  the  location 
in  this  respect.  In  his  last  report  Lieutenant  Parke 
states : 

"The  supply  of  water  upon  the  plateau  is  limited.  Along  and  near 
the  proposed  line  it  is  found  at  the  following  localities,  and  from  these 
the  working-parties  can  be  supplied :  at  Neide's  Spring,  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  basaltic  hills,  east  of  Cooke's  Springs ;  Rio  Mim- 
bres ;  Agua  Fria ;  Ojo  de  la  Vaca ;  Ojo  de  Inez  ;  Valle  del  Saux ;  in 
the  Puerto  del  Dado ;  Croton  Springs ;  at  the  Playa  de  los  Pim'os ; 
Castro  Spring,  near  the  railroad  pass  under  Mount  Graham ;  Pheas- 
ant Creek ;  Antelope  and  Dove  Springs,  at  the  base  of  the  Calitro 
Mountains ;  and  at  Bear  Springs,  at  the  head  of  the  Aravaypa.  The 
distance  in  direct  lines  from  one  of  these  localities  to  another  are  as 
follows : 

From  the  Rio  Grande  to  Neide's  Spring 40  miles. 

From  Neide's  Spring  to  Cooke's  Spring 12     " 

From  Cooke's  Spring  to  the  Rio  Mimbres 21     " 

From  Rio  Mimbres  to  Agua  Fria 15     " 

From  Agua  Fria  to  Ojo  de  la  Vaca G     " 

From  Ojo  de  la  Vaca  to  Ojo  de  Inez 12     " 

From  Ojo  de  Inez  to  Valle  del  Saux ..40     " 

From  Valle  del  Saux  to  Puerto  del  Dado 23     " 

From  Puerto  del  Dado  to  Castro  Spring 30     *' 

From  Puerto  del  Dado  to  Croton  Springs 30     " 


220  Arizona  and  /So7iora. 

From  Castro  Spring  to  Croton  Springs 18  miles. 

From  Croton  Springs  to  Pheasant  Creek 12     " 

From  Plieasant  Creek  to  Antelope  Spring 3     " 

From  Antelope  Spring  to  Dove  Spring 2^  " 

From  Dove  Spring  to  Bear  Spring.; ; IG     " 

"On  the  San  Pedro  route,  water  ^  abundant  and  convenient  at 
Chameleon  Spring  and  Prospect  Creek,  and  in  the  entire  valley  of  the 
Rio  San  Pedro.  Besides  thescf  permanent  supplies,  water  is  found, 
after  the  rains,  on  the  jjlayas  and  in  depressions  in  the  drains." 

It  has  been  argued,  and  I  think  successfully,  that  if  the 
road  were  built,  it  might  be  worked  from  one  supply  of 
water  to  another ;  but  that  has  never  satisfied  my  mind 
in  relation  to  the  difficulty  which  presents  itself  in  build- 
ing the  road.  Without  tanks  or  wells,  I  do  not  see  how 
the  road  is  to  be  built,  how  Avorking  parties  are  to  be 
sustained,  with  the  distances  which  are  found  upon  every 
route  which  has  been  surveyed.  The  facilities  for  mak- 
ing such  artificial  reservoirs  upon  this  part  of  the  32d 
parallel  route  are  thus  favorably  described  by  Lieutenant 
Parke : 

"For  the  working  parties  in  the  construction  of  the  road,  during 
'tlie  dry  season,  water  can  be  obtained  from  the  several  above-mention- 
ed permanent  sources  of  supply;  but  this  will  involve,  of  necessity, 
much  haulage,  the  maximum  distance  being  twenty-three  miles.  But 
I  am  clearly  of  the  opinion  that  water  can  be  obtained  at  other  points 
along  and  near  the  line  of  construction  by  sinking  common  wells. 
These  plai/a  formations  are  particularly  favorable.  Being  basin- 
shaped,  they  receive  and  retain  the  drainage  from  the  suri'ounding 
country,  giving  us  natural  reservoirs,*  which  require  only  to  be  tapped 
to  give  a  constant  and  plentiful  supply." 

I  will  now  proceed  to  describe  the  section  west  of  the 
Pimos  villages.     The  office  examination  states : 

"We  have  now  reached  the  Gila,  Seven  miles  above  the  Pimos  vil- 
lages, the  elevation  above  the  sea  being  1365  feet.  From  this  point  to 
its  junction  with  the  Colorado,  the  valley  of  the  river  is  highly  favora- 

*  New  discoveries  of  springs  have  been  made  since  Parke's  report, 
and  will  continue  to  be  as  the  country  is  opened. — S.  M. 


The  Southern  Railroad  Route  to  the  Pacific,     221 

blc  to  the  construction  of  a  railroad.  There  will  be  no  necessity  for 
embankments  against  freshets,  but  trifling  occasional  cutting  and  fill- 
ing; and,  in  those  instances  where  the  hills  close  in  upon  the  river, 
there  is  ample  space  for  the  road  without  heavy  cutting.  The  eleva- 
tion at  the  mouth  of  the  river  being  108  feet,  and  the  distance  between 
the  two  points  223  miles,  we  have  a  general  slope  of  five  and  six  tenths 
feet  per  mile,  which,  from  the  favorable  character  of  the  ground,  may 
be  assumed  as  the  grade  of  the  road. 

"Water  and  fuel  for  working  parties  are  sufficient,  though  no  grass. 
Logs  may  be  driven  down  the  Gila  from  the  Moyogan  Mountains  at 
its  source,  from  the  Pinal  Lleno,  and  down  the  San  Francisco  and  Sa- 
linas Rivers,  from  the  pine  forests  on  the  former,  and  the  mountains  at 
the  source  of  the  latter. 

"But  it  maybe  found  more  economical  to  receive  all  the  supplies  of 
lumber  needed  for  the  western  portion  of  the  road  either  from  the  San 
Bernardino  Mountains  and  Pass,  or  from  the  harbor  of  San  Pedro  or 
Diego,  or,  should  it  be  found  desirable  to  establish  one,  from  the  depot 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Gila." 

Senators  will  perceive  that  I  am  here  explaining  the 
basis  on  which  I  formed  the  opinion  which  governs  my 
vote  in  this  case.  I  have  no  controversy  with  any  "body. 
I  do  not  expect  to  satisfy  gentlemen  that  their  routes  are 
not  as  good  as  they  wish  them;  but  I  am  dealing  with 
the  facts  as  they  are  contained  in  the  reports,  to  justify 
me  in  the  opinion  which  I  have  officially  expressed,  and 
on  which  I  am  now  acting  in  my  proposition  to  grant  a 
given  sum  to  make  a  railroad.  I  have  not  encountered 
all  this  lal^^  in  a  mere  spirit  of  controversy. 

"The  most  favorable  point  for  crossing  the  Colorado  is  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Gila,  where  the  river  is  narrowest,  650  feet  wide,  and  has 
bluffs  on  both  banks. 

"The  direction  that  the  road  should  take  across  the  desert  interven- 
ing between  it  and  the  foot  of  the  Coast  Range  depends,  in  part,  upon 
the  position  of  the  pass  by  which  it  crosses  this  mountain  chain. 
There  are  two  passes  known  and  explored  :  Warner's,  the  more  south- 
erly of  the  two,  will  require  five  miles  of  excavation  in  granite  and 
mica  slate  for  the  full  width  of  the  road,  the  grades  varying  from  130 
to  190  feet  per  mile. 

"The  distances*  from  the  mouth  of  the  Gila,  over  the  desert,  to  the 


222  Arizona  and  Sonora, 

entrance  of  this  pass,  is  eighty  miles ;  thence  to  San  Diego  is  150  miles. 
The  San  Gorgonio  or  San  Bernardino  Pass,  on  the  contrary,  is  reraai'k- 
ably  favorable.  It  is  an  open  valley,  from  two  to  five  miles  wide,  the 
surface  smooth  and  unbroken,  affording  in  its  form  and  inclination  ev- 
ery facility  and  no  obstruction  to  the  building  of  a  railroad." 

This  plain,  eighty  miles  in  width,  has  been  treated  as  a 
desert  Joniac^o,  although  there  are  springs  and  wells  upon 
it;  and  the  water  of  the  Colorado,  sometimes  overflowing 
or  rising  in  the  middle  of  the  plain,  forms  what  is  called 
New  River.  The  plain  is  certainly  deficient  in  w^ater ;  but 
it  is  evidently  a  delta  formation,  and  not  a  desert  in  the 
sense  of  being  unproductive  because  of  its  constituent  ele- 
ments. It  is  all  of  alluvial  formation,  clearly  once  belong- 
ing to  the  Colorado,  and  habitually  overflowed  by  it ;  but 
the  deposit  on  the  banks  of  the  stream  having  enough 
moisture  and  tenacity  to  catch  the  sand  driven  upon  it  by 
prevailing  winds,  at  last  became  a  natural  levee  or  barrier 
sufiicient  to  restrain  the  floods,  and  long  drought  render- 
ed the  alluvial  plain  west  of  the  river  entirely  sterile. 
Thus,  I  am  informed,  it  is  now  along  the  Rio  Grande. 
When  the  cultivation  of  a  field  is  abandoned,  left  for  but 
a  few  years  without  irrigation,  sterility  ensues ;  but  it  can 
be  restored  to  fertility  by  again  supplying  it  with  moisture. 

The  supply  of  timber  upon  this  whole  route  is  deficient. 
The  points  where  it  may  be  obtained  are  thus  stated  in 
the  ofiice  e^camination :  ^ 

"Let  us  assume  the  most  unfavorable  case  for  supplies  of  ties  and 
lumber  over  that  portion  of  the  route  between  the  eastern  limit  of  the 
Llano  Estacado  and  the  summit  of  the  San  Gorgonio  Pass,  1052  miles 
— that  is,  that  they  must  be  brought  from  either  end  of  the  road,  say  300 
miles  from  the  eastern  limit  of  the  Llano  Estacado,  and  from  the  port 
of  San  Pedro  on  the  Pacific,  100  miles  from  the  summit  of  the  San 
Gorgonio  Pass,  making  the  points  of  supply  1400  miles  apart:  the 
greatest  distance  to  which  they  must  be  transported  from  each  end  is, 
therefore,  700  miles  by  the  road,  the  point  of  junction  of  supplies  from 
the  east  and  west  being  about  110  miles  west  of  the  Rio  Grande.  Lum- 
ber can  undoubtedly  be  procured  in  the  Eed  River  district  for  ^30  per 


The  Southern  Bailroad  Route  to  the  Pacific.     223 

1000  feet.  The  additional  cost  for  transportation  to  the  Llano,  300 
miles  by  the  railroad,  at  three  cents  per  ton  per  mile  (double  the  usual 
cost  on  eastern  railroads),  is  $13i,  and  its  cost  there  $43|  per  1000 
feet;  the  cost  per  1000  feet  for  450  miles  additional  transportation  is 
$20,  and  hence  the  cost  per  1000  feet  at  this  extreme  point  will  be  $63|. 
The  mean  cost  over  these  400  or  450  miles  from  the  eastern  limit  of  the 
Llano  Estacado  will  be  $52|^  per  1000  feet.  From  Fulton  to  the  Llano 
it  is  unnecessary  to  estimate  its  cost. 

"Lsmber  may  be  delivered  at  San  Pedro  or  San  Diego  from  Oregon 
for  $30  per  1000  feet.  Abundance  of  it  can  be  got  out  from  the  San 
Bernardino  and  other  mountains  near  the  line  of  the  road  at  that  cost, 
and  it  may  be  assumed,  therefore,  to  be  supplied  at  San  Pedro  or  San 
Diego  at  that  price,  and  at  a  mean  cost  over  the  road  (the  road  sup- 
plying itself,  as  it  must  do,  sections  of  40  or  50  miles  being  built  at  a 
time)  of  $4G  per  1000  feet. 

"The  worst  case  having  been  discussed,  it  remains  to  be  said  that 
good  ties  and  lumber  can  be  obtained  from  the  Guadalupe  and  Hueco 
Mountains,  from  the  head  waters  of  the  Rio  Mimbres,  from  the  Pinal 
Lleno,  Salinas  River,  and  head  waters  of  the  San  Francisco,  and  from 
the  San  Bernardino  Mountains*  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  or  Coast  Range, 
which  sources  of  supply  may  be  found  to  materially  obviate  the  neces- 
sity of  transporting  lumber  from  the  two  ends  of  the  road. " 

In  fine,  it  may  be  said  that  the  route  of  the  32d  parallel 
from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  is  the 
shortest  of  those  explored,  its  length  being  from  100  to 
400  miles  less  than  the  shortest  of  the  other  routes ;  it  is 
likewise  the  shortest  route  to  San  Francisco,  being  100 
miles  shorter  than  any  other.  The  vast  uncultivable  belt 
through  which  all  the  routes  must  pass  is  crossed  by  the 
route  of  the  3 2d  parallel  where  the  width  is  least,  its 
length  through  this  region  being  200  miles  shorter  than 
any  other  line.  The  mountain  region  on  this  route  has 
the  least  elevation,  and  the  table-lands  preponderate  to  a 
greater  degree  than  on  the  other  routes. 

It  is  the  most  economical  route ;  the  estimated  cost  to 

*  And  from  the  Santa  Cruz  and  Santa  Rita  Mountains  in  Arizona, 
near  the  line  of  the  road,  a  section  of  Arizona  never  examined  by  Lieu- 
tenant Parke.— S.  M. 


224  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

the  Pacific  being  from  eighteen  to  twenty  million  dol- 
lars less  than  that  of  any  other,  and  to  San  Francisco 
$10,000,000  less;  the  cheapness  of  the  construction  being 
due  to  the  great  extent  of  plains  and  table-lands,  where 
the  road-bed  preparation  required  is  slight. 

The  mountain  passes  are  open,  and  their  natural  slopes 
admit  of  temporary  use  without  costly  preparation.  The 
winters  are  so  mild  that  no  difficulties,  impediments,  or 
dangers  from  snow  and  ice  are  to  be  apprehended,  and 
this  admits  of  the  use  of  steep  grades,  and  greatly  facili- 
tates construction. 

On  all  the  routes  unusual  means  must  be  resorted  to 
for  supplies  of  water  at  the  distances  common  on  rail- 
roads. The  intervals  between  the  large  permanent  sup- 
lilies  on  the  route  of  the  32d  parallel  are  not  too  great  for 
the  working  of  a  railroad,  but  additional  supphes,  at  short- 
er distances,  may  be  collected  by  tanks  or  wells.  • 

In  the  uncultivable  belt  that  separates  the  Mississippi 
valley  from  the  Pacific  slope,  occasional  areas  of  arable 
soil  are  to  be  found.  The  route  of  the  32d  parallel  is 
neither  less  favorably  situated  in  this  respect,  nor  in  min- 
eral wealth,  than  those  in  other  latitudes,  nor  is  the  sup- 
ply of  building  materials  and  timber  materially  less  on 
this  route  than  on  the  others,  excepting  an  interior  por- 
tion of  the  route  near  the  49th  parallel. 

In  confirmation  of  the  opinion  expressed  in  the  secre- 
tary's report  upon  the  comparative  advantages  of  the  35  th 
and  32d  parallel  routes,  I  wish  to  refer  to  the  testimony 
of  a  civil  engineer  who  has  traveled  oven  both,  and  looked 
at  them  with  a  view  to  the  construction  of  a  railroad — 
Mr.  Albert  H.  Campbell.  He  was  first  connected  with 
Captain  "Whipple's  party  for  exploring  the  route  near  the 
35th  parallel ;  subsequently  with  that  of  Lieutenant  Parke 
when  re-examining  the  route  near  the  32d  parallel.  I  in- 
tend to  read  from  a  letter  which  I  find  addressed  by  him 


The  Southern  Railroad  Boute  to  the  Pacific.      225 

to  the  Hon.  Guy  M.  Bryan,  of  Texas,  in  relation  to  the 
Pacific  raih'oad,  published  in  1858.  On  the  first  page  he 
sets  forth  his  total  indifierence  as  to  which  of  the  two 
routes  may  be  selected,  and  the  absence  of  any  pecuniary 
motive  to  influence  him  in  one  way  or  the  other.    He  says : 

"I  have  no  pecuniary  or  landed  interest  in  the  El  Paso  route,  and 
consequently  have  no  motive  for  my  preference,  except  an  honest  con- 
viction, derived  from  personal  observation,  that  it  is  emphatically  the 
most  practicable,  cheapest,  and  shortest  route  between  the  Mississippi 
River  and  the  Pacific  Ocean ;  and  the  country  through  which  it  pass- 
es, as  a  whole,  will  compare  favorably  with  any  other  route  in  agri- 
cultural and  pastoral  resources,  and  in  mineral  wealth,  and  that  it  is 
the  only  route  that  can  be  successfully  worked  during  the  entire  year." 

"It  is  practicable  to  construct  a  railroad  along  the  Albuquerque 
route,  as  reported  by  Captain  Whipple ;  but  I  maintain,  and  am  will- 
ing to  leave  it  to  the  decision  of  the  ablest  impartial  railroad  engineer 
in  the  country,  that  it  can  not  be  done  without  an  immense  outlay  of 
treasure  in  preparing  a  road-bed,  and  exceeding  by  at  least  twenty-five 
per  cent,  the  cost  of  constructing  a  road  of  equal  length  over  the  32d 
parallel." 

Of  the  climate  he  says : 

*'In  regard  to  the  climate  of  winter  on  the  Albuquerque  route,  I  am 
satisfied  that  it  will  be  found  too  cold  to  work  a  railroad  successfully 
for  at  least  three,  if  not  four  months  of  the  year.  The  recorded  expe- 
rience of  six  winters  at  Fort  Defiance,  only  twenty  miles  in  latitude 
north  of  Campbell's  Pass,  and  about  the  same  elevation — as  I  observed 
when  I  went  to  that  post  in  November,  1853,  through  Campbell's  Pass, 
though  the  Army  Meteorological  Eegister,  page  641,  put  it  down  (or 
rather  up)  to  *  7200  (?)  feet'  above  the  level  of  the  sea — must  be  taken 
as  conclusive  of  the  fact  of  its  being  at  times  extremely  cold. 

♦'At  Albuquerque,  according  to  the  meteorological  report  of  the 
medical  department  of  the  United  States  Army,  the  maximum  and 
minimum  temperatures  respectively  were,  for  the  winter  months  of 
1849  and  1850— in  December,  53°,  5° ;  January,  49°  12°  below  zero ; 
February,  57°,  17°.  For  1850  and  1851— in  December,  52°,  5°  below 
zero ;  January,  57°,  8°  ;  February,  59°,  7°.  For  1852  and  1853— in 
December,  65°,  21°;  January,  65°,  ]9°;  February,  66°,  13°.  For 
1853  and  1854— in  December,  66°,  20° ;  January,  63°,  5° ;  February, 
67°,  15° ;  and  in  December,  1854,  58°,  19°. 

K2 


226  "   Arizona  and  jSonora. 

"  At  Fort  Defiance,  about  twenty  miles  north  of  Campbell's  Pass  in 
latitude,  and  from  300  to  500  feet  higher,  the  maximum  and  minimum 
temperatures  respectively  were,  for  the  month  of  December,  1851,  62°, 
4° ;  18  inches  snow.  For  1852  and  1853— in  December,  50°,  2° ; 
January,  55°,  7° ;  February,  56°,  6°.  For  1853  and  1854— in  De- 
cember, 57°,  6° ;  January,  49°,  20°  below  zero ;  February,  54°,  2°. 
For  1854  and  1855— December,  65°,  10° ;  January,  59°,  17°  below 
zero;  February,  61°,  13°.  For  1855  and  1856— December,  56°,  25° 
below  zero ;  January,  54°,  8°  below  zero ;  February,  51°,  3°  below  zero. 

A  great  error  has  been  committed  in  supposing  that 
because  the  35th  parallel  route  is  in  a  southern  latitude, 
it  must  be  in  a  warm  country.  Temperature  dej^ends  as 
much  upon  elevation  as  upon  latitude;  and  fertility  re- 
sults, not  from  the  constituent  elements  of  the  soil  alone, 
but  from  the  meteorological  conditions  of  the  atmosphere 
also.  Here  is  an  elevation  of  7000  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
a  country  of  extreme  aridity.  The  air  from  the  ocean 
deposits  the  moisture  it  possessed  in  passing  over  the 
mountain  ranges  before  it  reaches  this  plain.  Over  it 
broods  a  forbidding  sterility,  and  across  it  the  winter 
winds  sweep  with  a  degree  of  cold  scarcely  less  intense 
than  that  found  in  any  portion  of  our  country.  At  the 
close  of  this  table  the  writer  says : 

"The  table  above  will  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  climate  of  the  country. 
The  winter  of  1855  and  1856  was  more  severe  than  any  one  known  for 
many  years.  The  wintiy  weather  commenced  on  the  1st  of  November, 
1855,  and  has  continued  up  to  the  present  time  (March  14, 1856).  The 
Eio  Grande,  at  Albuquerque,  was  frozen  over,  and  with  ice  sufficiently 
strong  to  bear  a  horse  and  carreta.  Those  Indians  who  live  habitually 
to  the  north  of  Fort  Defiance  were  obliged  to  abandon  that  portion  of 
the  country  and  move  south,  with  their  flocks  and  herds,  in  quest  of 
grazing,  on  account  of  the  depth  of  snow,  wliich,  in  the  mountains,  at 
whose  base  the  fort  is  situated,  was  over  two  feet  in  depth  in  March, 
1856." — Correspondence  of  J.  Leatherman,  Assistant  Surgeon  United 
States  Army ;  Smithsonian  Report,  1855,  page  287. 

Speaking  of  the  immense  exposure  encountered  on  this 
elevated  plain  in  winter,  Mr.  Campbell  says : 

"  The  imagination  can  readily  picture  the  terrible  calamity  which 
would  inevitably  befall  a  train-load  of  passengers  en  route  for  the  Pa- 


The  Southern  Railroad  Route  to  the  Pacific.     227 

cific  if  an  accident  of  a  similar  kind  should  stop  their  progress  midway 
upon  one  of  those  desolate  artemisia  districts  between  the  Ojo  de  Gallo 
and  the  Little  Colorado,  and  between  the  valley  of  the  Big  Sandy  Fork 
and  the  sink  of  the  Mohave,  where  no  human  habitation  can  ever  exist 
between  the  permanent  water  stations." 

He  treats  of  the  supply  of  water  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  authors  of  the  official  reports.  He  notices  the  fact 
that  Captain  Marcy,  having  traveled  over  the  35th,  and 
then  over  the  32d  parallel  route,  testified  in  favor  of  the 
latter  as  an  emigrant  route.  Citing  the  opinion  of  Major 
Emory  as  to  the  route  on  the  32d  parallel,  he  says : 

"In  an  allusion  to  the  subject  of  the  railroad  (on  page  51,  first  vol- 
ume of  Mexican  Boundary  Reports),  he  [Major  Emory]  emphatically 
declares,  of  the  advantages  gained  by  the  last,  or  Gadsden  treaty,  that 
it  '  has  secured  what  the  surveys  made  under  the  orders  of  the  War 
Department  demonstrate  to  be  the  most  feasible,  if  not  the  only  prac- 
ticable route  for  a  railway  to  the  Pacific'  " 

The  comparison  instituted  in  the  office,  when  the  field- 
work  of  the  various  explorations  was  reported,  was  to  ful- 
fill the  requirements  of  Congress,  to  find  the  most  practi- 
cal and  economical  route  for  a  railroad  from  the  Missis- 
sippi River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  I  am  not  engaged  now 
in  the  investigation  of  that  exact  question,  the  problem 
being  merely  that  of  crossing  the  Territories ;  but  as  the 
practicability  of  effecting  a  connection  between  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Pacific  may  control  in  any  action  of  Con- 
gress, a  table  has  been  prepared  which  presents  in  a  con- 
densed form  the  distances  and  the  comparative  cost  of 
each  route  from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
Whether  this  estimated  cost  be  too  high  or  too  low,  it  is 
not  for  that  purpose  needful  to  inquire.  The  object  was 
to  approach  as  nearly  as  possible  to  accuracy  of  compari- 
son, not  to  give  an  absolute  statement  of  the  cost.  This 
is  all  that  has  ever  been  claimed  for  the  office  estimates  of 
the  cost ;  and  this  is  the  reason  why  the  estimates  of  chiefs 
of  parties  have  been  modified,  so  as  to  bring  them  to  the 
same  comparative  scale.    I  submit  the  table  to  the  Senate : 


228 


Arizona  and  jSonora. 


Table  showi7ig  the  LengtJis^  comparative  Costs,  etc.,  of  the 
several  Routes  explored  for  a  Railroad  from  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  the  Pacific. 


1 

5a 

§ 

O  o 

% 

1 

f% 

EoUTiSS. 

ll 

03 

■f 

es  of  Roi 
nerally  u 
Soil  bein 
reas. 

li 
II 

•1 

< 

a 

3 

I 

d 

0.  of  Mil 
Land  ge 
arable   1 
small  A: 

03  ^ 

Q 

Ul 

U 

Y* 

>^ 

< 

Miles. 

Feet 

% 

Feet 

Route  near  forty-seventh  and 

forty-ninth  parallels,  from 

St.  Paul  to  Seattle 

1955 

18,654 

135,871,000 

535 

1490 

6,044 

Route  near  forty-seventh  and 

forty-ninth  parallels,  from 

St.  Paul  to  Vancouver 

1800 

17,645 

125,781,000 

374 

1490 

6,044 

Route  near  forty -first  and  for- 

ty-second   parallels,  from 

- 

Rock  Island,  via  South  Pass 

to  Benicia 

2299 

29,120* 

122  770  000 

899 

1400 

8,373 

Route  near  thirty-eighth  and 

±.mu^  1  «  u^uuv 

thirty -ninth  parallels,  from 

St.  Louis,  via   Coo-chee-to- 

pa  and  Tah-ee-chay-pah 

Passes  to  San  Francisco . . . 

2325 

49,985t 

Imp'cticable. 

865 

1460 

10,032 

Route  near  thirty-eighth  and 

thirty-ninth  parallels,  from 

St.  Louis,  via   Coo-chee-to- 

pa  and  Madeleine  Passes  to 

Benicia 

2535 

56,514i 

Imp'cticable. 

915 

1620 

10,032 

Route  near  thirty-fifth  paral- 

lel, from  Memphis  to  San 

Francisco 

2366 

48,521t 

113,009,000 

916 

1450 

7,550 

Route  near  thirty-second  par- 

allel, from  ISIemphia  to  San 

Pedro 

2000 

48,862t 

99,000,000 

690 

1400 

7,550 

Route  near  thirty-second  par- 

allel, from  Gaines's  Land- 

ing  to  San  Francisco  by 

Coast  route 

2174 

38,200§ 

94,000,000 

984 

1190 

5,717 

Route  near  thirty-second  par- 

allel, from  Gaines's  Land- 

ing to  San  Pedro 

1748 

30,181§ 

72,000,000 

558 

1190 

5,717 

Route  near  thirty-second  par- 

allel, from  Gaines's  Land- 

ing to  San  Diego 

1G83 

33,454§ 

72,000,000 

524 

1159 

5,717 

*  The  ascents  and  descents  between  Rock  Island  and  Council  Bluffs  are  not  known, 
and  therefore  not  included  in  this  sum. 

t  The  ascents  and  descents  between  St.  Louis  and  Westport  are  not  known,  and 
therefore  not  included  in  this  sum. 

X  The  ascents  and  descents  between  Memphis  and  Fort  Smith  are  not  known,  and 
therefore  not  included  in  this  sura. 

§  The  ascents  and  descents  between  Gaines's  Landing  and  Fulton  are  not  known, 
and  therefore  not  included  in  this  sum. 


The  Southern  Railroad  Route  to  the  Pacific.     229 

In  volume  seven  of  the  Railroad  Reports,  a  table  will 
be  found  with  which  this  very  generally  corresponds,  the 
difference  being  that  some  of  the  surveys  having  com- 
nmnced  at  anterior  points  —  one,  for  instance,  at  Council 
Bluffs,  and  another  at  Fort  Smith  —  the  estimates  of  the 
reports  are  made  from  those  points.  Here  they  have 
been  extended  to  the  Mississippi  River.  The  table  in 
volume  seven  is  also  here  modified  by  the  supposition 
that  the  reported  practicability  of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Pass 
is  correct,  and  thus  the  total  sum  estimated  for  the  route 
near  to  the  49th  parallel  has  been  reduced.  No  additions 
have  been  made  for  those  difficulties  which,  in  addressing 
the  Senate,  I  have  stated  had  come  to  my  knowledge 
since  the  preparation  of  my  report,  because  information 
not  derived  from  instrumental  survey  is  not  accepted  as 
the  basis  of  estimate. 

I  have  only  to  add  that,  looking  to  the  grant  of  land 
and  of  money  with  which  Texas  has  endowed  her  railroad 
company,  and  to  the  interest  which  w^ould  be  brought 
to  bear  for  the  extension  of  the  Texas  road  to  the  Rio 
Grande  by  a  company  formed  to  build  a  road  from  the 
Rio  Grande  to  the  Colorado,  I  beheve  the  sum  of  money 
and  the  grant  of  land  contained  in  my  substitute,  although 
the  smallest  proposed  by  any  one,  will  secure  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  across  that  intermediate  territory, 
will  insure  the  extension  of  the  road  of  Texas  to  the  Rio 
Grande ;  and  that,  having  reached  the  Colorado,  Califor- 
nia will  charter  a  company  to  extend  it  to  San  Diego,  to 
San  Pedro,  or  to  San  Francisco.  Most  probably  a  com- 
pany, if  incorporated  to  build  a  railroad  from  Fort  Yuma 
to  San  Francisco,  would  first  connect  with  the  ocean  at 
San  Pedro,  and  thus  command  a  more  prompt  return  for 
their  investment  in  the  road  than  if  they  awaited  its  final 
completion  to  Sa#  Francisco. 

I  have  endeavored,  during  the  progress  of  this  debate, 


230  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

to  ascertain  how  much  of  the  land  in  the  valley  of  the 
Santa  Clara  and  the  Salinas  might  inure  to  the  benefit  of 
a  company  undertaking  to  build  a  road.  It  is  all  known 
to  be  of  the  highest  fertility,  and  blessed  with  a  climate 
not  inferior  to  any  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States. 
If  it  is  possible  for  the  company  to  obtain  near  to  that 
line  even  one  half  of  the  amount  of  land  proposed  to  be 
granted,  I  rely  upon  the  accuracy  of  Lieutenant  Parke's 
estimates  to  establish  the  fact  that  the  road  might  be 
built  there  for  the  land  grant  alone.  Whenever  Califor- 
nia shall  charter  a  company  to  build  this  road  within  her 
own  limits,  and  that  company  shall  ask  Congress  for  a 
grant  to  construct  it,  I  can  not  doubt  that  the  interest  of 
the  United  States  will  warrant  Congress  in  making  such 
a  grant.  Thus  is  reached  the  conclusion  that  the  Texas 
road  will  be  drawn  on  to  make  a  junction  with  the  road 
built  in  the  Territory,  and  that  the  latter,  when  built  to 
the  Colorado,  will  certainly  be  extended  to  the  Pacific. 
The  eastern  terminus  of  the  Texas  road  will  be  available 
to  all  the  roads  which  ramify  throughout  the  United 
States,  and  be  connected,  in  a  very  short  time,  with  every 
important  point  from  St.  Paul  to  Galveston. 

If  the  facts  which  have  been  thus  imperfectly  grouped 
and  presented  to  the  Senate  sustain  the  conclusion  that 
this  result  is  to  be  attained  by  so  small  a  sum  of  money, 
it  may  reasonably  be  claimed  that  all  who  desire  the  con- 
struction of  a  road  across  the  Territory,  with  complete 
connections  throughout  the  states,  are  bound  to  sustain 
the  proposition  which  I  have  submitted. 

My  position  is,  that  the  completion  of  this  great  work 
is  necessary  to  the  due  execution  of  the  functions  of  the 
general  government ;  that  it  will  not  be  achieved  by  pri- 
vate capital  alone,  therefore  that  we  should  strike  oflT  ev- 
ery shackle  which  impedes  its  executi#n  —  should  aban- 
don the  right  to  collect  duty  on  the  iron  employed ;  give 


The  Southern  Bailroad Boute  to  the  Pacific.     231 

the  whole  limit  of  the  United  States  from  which  to  select 
a  route ;  extend  every  aid  we  can  constitutionally  afford, 
and  to  insure  the  construction  of  the  road  somewhere,  be 
it  where  it  may,  so  that  it  is  on  the  soil  of  the  United 
States.  If,  by  haggling  over  petty  sectional  controver- 
sies— if,  by  sticking  in  the  dark,  and  destroying  the  ener- 
gy of  the  Constitution,  politicians  shall  defeat  the  efforts 
which  have  been  made  from  session  to  session  —  shall 
prostrate  the  last  hope  for  this  road  across  the  continent, 
and,  thus  unprepared,  should  we  become  involved  in  a 
war  with  the  great  maritime  powers  of  Europe,  they  may, 
when  it  is  too  late  to  avert  the  disasters  which  have  been 
so  often  foretold,  have  cause  to  pray  for  the  mountains 
to  fall  upon  and  cover  them  from  public  indignation — to 
them  may  attach  the  blame,  on  us  all  may  press  the 
shame  and  the  sorrow  of  having  lost  to  the  country  a 
territory  worth  innumerable  treasure,  of  having  forfeited 
that  the  value  of  which  can  not  be  measured  by  money — 
the  prestige  of  stability,  progress,  and  invincibility,  and 
the  right  to  inscribe  on  our  national  shield.  Equal  to 
THE  Pkotection  of  a  Continent-wide  Republic. 


232  Arizona  and  Bonora. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  SILVER  MINES  OF  ARIZONA.* 
The  San  Antonio  Mine.— Aspect  of  the  Region.— The  Mowry  Mines. 
Scene  at  the  Hacienda. — Pay-day. — Labor  and  Laborers. — His- 
tory of  the  Mines. — Lieutenant  Mowry. — Yield  of  the  Mines. — 
Country  and  Climate.— Santa  Rita  Mines.— The  Hacienda.— The 
Salero  Mines.— The  Ores.— Grazing.— The  Sopori  Ranch.— The 
Country  and  the  Mines.— Prospects.— The  Heintzelman  Mine. — 
The  Country.— Past  and  Present  of  the  Mines.— The  Ores.— Mex- 
ican Thieves.  —  The  Arivaca  Mines.  —  The  Country. — Arizona 
Mining  Company,— Surrounding  Mining  Region.— The  Cahuabia 
District.  —  The  Mines.— The  Bahia  Mines.— General  Conclusion. 

The  San  Antonio  Mine. — A  pleasant  drive  of  two 
hours  through  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Santa  Cruz 
brought  us  to  the  hacienda  of  the  San  Antonio  Mining 
Companyy-now  under  the  charge  of  Mr.Yerbes,  an  intel- 
ligent American,  who  received  us  with  great  kindness 
and  hospitality.  The  buildings  of  the  hacienda  do  not 
admit  of  very  sumptuous  accommodation,  but  here,  at 
least,  we  found,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Tucson,  a 
living  nucleus  of  American  civilization :  houses  with  fire- 
places, and  fires  in  them ;  rude  attempts  at  beds  and  ta- 

*  Mr.  J.  Ross  Browne,  the  famous  traveler,  has  just  returned  from 
an  extended  trip  in  Arizona,  of  which  he  is  to  furnish  an  account 
through  the  pages  of  Harper's  Magazine.  Learning  that  he  was  to 
give  an  account  of  the  silver  mining  region,  I  requested  the  publish- 
ers to  insert  such  portions  of  this  as  bore  directly  upon  this  topic,  as  a 
supplementary  chapter  of  my  work.  They  kindly  consented  to  don 
this,  in  advance  of  its  appearance  in  the  Magazine.  I  may  add  that 
I  have  not  seen  the  account  of  Mr.  Browne,  and  have  no  means  of 
knowing  how  far  his  views  coincide  with  my  own.  But  it  can  not 
fail  to  be  of  interest  to  the  readers  of  my  work  to  compare  with  my 
own  the  views  and  impressions  of  a  man  who  looks  at  the  country 
from  a  stand-point  so  wholly  different. — S.  M.,  San  Francisco,  August, 
1864. 


J.  Hoss  Browne  on  Arizona  Mines.  233 

bles ;  and  a  people  who  furnished  us  with  wood  free  of 
charge,  and  offered  us  from  their  scanty  stores  of  pro- 
visions whatever  we  needed.  A  mill,  wdth  smelting  fur- 
naces and  a  small  engine,  had  just  been  erected  for  re- 
ducing the  ores,  and  w^ould  be  put  in  operation  as  soon 
as  the  necessary  facilities  for  working  the  mine  could  be 
obtained. 

The  San  Antonio  Mine  is  situated  about  six  miles 
from  the  reduction  works,  in  a  spur  of  the  Santa  Cruz 
Mountains.  The  ore  is  rich  in  argentiferous  galena  and 
lead,  easily  managed,  and  Will  doubtless  yield  profitable 
results.  It  is  questionable  if  the  silver  lodes  in  this  vi- 
cinity will  produce  so  large  a  proportion  of  rich  ores  to 
the  ton  as  those  of  the  Santa  Rita  and  Cerro  Colorado 
Mountains ;  but  it  has  been  well  demonstrated  that  they 
are  deep,  boldly  defined,  and  reliable,  and  wull,  if  proper- 
ly worked,  amply  recompense  the  labor  and  capital  in- 
vested in  them.  The  magnificent  grazing  lands  of  the 
valleys  into  which  the  spurs  of  the  mountains  run ;  the 
abundant  supply  of  fine  oak  timber  on  the  foot-hills ;  the 
facilities  for  procuring  provisions  from  Sonora,  and  easy 
access,  by  good  roads,  to  the  ports  of  the  Gulf,  afford 
them  peculiar  advantages,  which  would  be  greatly  en- 
hanced if  we  possessed  the  small  strip  of  territory  ex- 
tending as  far  south  as  Libertad.  l^o  traveler  passing 
through  this  region  can  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  sagac- 
ity of  the  Mexican  commissioners  in  i^nning  the  bound- 
ary-line. 

The  Mowry  Silver  Mines.  —  Approaching  these 
mines  we  found  indications  of  life  and  industry.  Cords 
of  wood  lay  piled  up  on  the  wayside ;  the  sound  of  the 
axe  reverberated  from  hill  to  hill ;  the  smoke  of  many 
charcoal  pits  filled  the  air ;  and  teamsters,  with  heavily- 
loaded  wagons,  were  working  their  way  over  the  rugged 
trails  and  by-paths.     Gradually  the  road  became  better 


234  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

defined,  artd  the  clearings  more  extensive,  till  we  came 
to  the  brow  of  a  hill  overlooking  the  hacienda. 

A  more  picturesque  or  cheering  view  I  had  rarely  seen. 
Down  in  the  valley  of  several  hundred  acres,  almost 
embosomed  in  trees,  stand  the  reduction  works,  store- 
houses, and  peon  quarters.  Smoke  rose  in  curling  clouds 
from  the  main  chimney,  which  stands  like  an  obelisk  in 
the  centre  of  the  mill,  and  sulphurous  vapors  whirled  up 
from  the  long  row  of  smelting  furnaces  in  the  rear.  The 
busy  hum  of  the  steam-engine  and  fly-wheels  fell  with  a 
lively  effect  on  the  ear ;  the  broad,  smooth  plaza  in  front 
of  the  works  was  dotted  with  wagons  and  teams  dis- 
charging their  freight  of  wood  and  ore ;  and  under  the 
shade  of  the  surrounding  trees,  amid  the  picturesque  lit- 
tle huts  of  the  peons,  groups  of  women  and  children, 
clothed  in  the  loose  variegated  costume  of  the  country, 
gave  a  pleasing  domestic  interest  to  the  scene.  It  w^as 
the  last  of  the  month,  and  consequently  pay-day — a  very 
welcome  and  important  day  all  over  the^world,  but  es- 
pecially in  this  isolated  region,  where  pay-days  are  scarce. 
Such  an  event  within  fifteen  miles  of  Santa  Cruz  rises  to 
the  dignity  of  a  grand  public  institution.  The  citizens 
of  Santa  Cruz,  who  are  not  proverbial  for  energy,  seem 
to  be  inspired  with  new  life  on  occasions  of  this  kind, 
and  never  fail  to  visit  the  mines  in  large  numbers  for  the 
purpose  of  participating  in  the  general  rejoicing.  For 
two  or  three  days  the  whole  hacienda  presents  a  lively 
and  characteristic  scene.  Work  is  out  of  the  question, 
so  far  as  the  peons  are  concerned.  Under  the  shade  of 
every  tree  sits  a  group  of  thriftless  vagabonds,  conspicu- 
ous for  their  dirty  skins  and  many-colored  serapas,  shuf- 
fling the  inevitable  pack  of  cards  or  casting  their  fortune 
of  greasy  "hobes"  upon  the  capricious  hazards  of  monte. 
The  earnings  of  the  month  are  soon  disposed  of.  The 
women  and  children  are  left  dependent  upon  new  ad- 


J.  Moss  Browne,  on  Arizona  Miiies.  235 

vances  from  the  store-houses ;  the  workmen  are  stupefied 
with  mescal  and  many  nights  of  debauch ;  and  when  all 
is  over,  the  fandango  at  an  end,  and  the  monte  tables 
packed  up,  every  miner  bankrupt,  and  no  more  goods  or 
money  to  be  had,  the  posse  of  sharpers  from  the  border 
lines  of  Sonora  take  their  leave. 

Under  the  existing  system  of  labor  in  Southern  Arizo- 
na, the  silver  mines  can  never  be  developed  to  their  full 
capacity,  or  profitably  worked.  The  Santa  Rita,  Cerro 
Colorado,  and  Cahuabia  Mines  have  been  tried  in  this 
way,  and  the  result  has  been  invariably  unfortunate. 
Many  valuable  lives  have  been  sacrificed,  and  vast 
amounts  of  property  lost  by  the  treachery,  dishonesty, 
and  incapacity  of  this  class  of  workmen.  It  may  be  just- 
ly contended  that  this  is  the  cheapest,  and,  in  fact,  the 
only  labor  hitherto  to  be  obtained.  Indeed,  $15  a  month, 
payable  mostly  in  goods  at  high  prices,  can  not  be  con- 
sidered an  extravagant  rate  of  wages  for  men  who  have 
had  more  or  less  experience  in  the  working  of  mines. 
But  that  must  be  determined  by  the  result.  There  will 
be  no  difiiculty  in  procuring  reliable  white  labor  as  soon 
as  there  is  any  security  for  life  and  property.  The  cli- 
mate of  Arizona  is  far  more  genial  than  that  of  Nevada, 
where  white  labor  is  abundant.  Men  can  be  found  to' 
work  wherever  they  receive  an  adequate  compensation 
for  their  services.  I  do  not  believe  it  would  be  practi- 
cable wholly  or  at  once  to  dispense  with  Mexican  labor. 
It  can  always,  to  some  extent,  be  made  available  for  the 
lower  grades  of  mining  operations.  Under  the  prepon- 
derance of  a  higher  and  more  intelligent  class  of  labor,  it 
may  become  both  convenient  and  profitable. 

The  Mowry  Mine  (formerly  known  as  the  Patagonia 
Mine)  was  probably  known  to  the  Mexicans,  and  worked 
by  them  many  years  ago.  The  Americans  first  discov- 
ered it  in  1858.     In  1860  it  became  the  property  of  Syl- 


236      .  Arizona  and  jSoiiora. 

vester  Mowry,  Esq.  It  is  situated  within  ten  miles  of 
the  boundary-line  between  Sonora  and  Arizona,  is  6160 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  is  distant  280  miles 
from  Guyamas,  on  the  Gulf  of  California. 

It  is  not  my  purpose,  in  these  casual  sketches,  to  write 
a  report  on  the  condition  and  prospects  of  each  silver 
or  gold  mine  in  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  even  if  I  pos- 
sessed the  requisite  knowledge  of  mining  operations.  I 
can  only  say,  therefore,  in  reference  to  the  Mowry  Mine, 
that  the  lode  appears  to  be  large,  bold,  and  well  defined, 
and  the  ore  of  fair  average  richness.  It  is  composed  of 
argentiferous  galena,  impregnated  with  arsenic,  and  is 
easily  reduced  by  smelting.  Three  distinct  veins  are 
perceptible,  which  cross  each  other  in  the  principal  lode. 
The  ore  which  was  in  process  of  reduction  at  the  time 
of  my  visit  yielded,  as  I  was  informed,  about  $40  to  the 
ton.  It  was  not  the  richest,  nor  could  it  be  considered 
a  fair  average.  Mr.  Ktistel,  the  distinguished  metallur- 
gist, author  of  the  "  Processes  of  Silver  and  Gold  Extrac- 
tion," etc.,  visited  the  mine  about  a  month  prior  to  my 
arrival,  and  made  a  thorough  examination  of  its  ores  and 
resources.  From  a  report*  made  by  him,  it  would  ap- 
pear that  some  of  the  ores  average  |350  to  the  ton.  If 
the  mines  were  j)roperly  worked,  he  estimates  that  a  gen- 
eral average  of  |50  to  |70  to  the  ton  might  be  obtained, 
and  he  mentions  among  the  advantages  in  fluxing  the 
presence  of  iron  ore,  manganese,  and  lime.  The  result 
of  one  day's  working  he  found  to  be  as  follows :  Prod- 
uce of  twenty  tons  in  silver,  |1200 ;  in  lead,  $480 ;  total, 
$1680 :  expenses  of  reduction,  mining,  etc.,  $400  ;  profit, 
$1280.  This  result  is  highly  encouraging ;  but  the  prob- 
ability is,  a  more  perfect  and  extensive  system  of  opera- 
tions would  greatly  enhance  the  nett  proceeds  of  the 
mine. 

*  See  ante,  p.  69. 


J,  JRoss  Browne  on  Arizona  Mines.  237 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  this  property  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  deputy  marshal  of  New  Mexico,  who  held  it  on 
behalf  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Mowry,  it  appears,  had 
been  arrested  and  imprisoned  by  order  of  General  J.  H. 
Carleton,  and  the  mine  seized  under  the  Confiscation  Act. 
Of  the  merits  of  the  difficulty  I  have  no  knowledge.  It 
appears,  however,  that  Mr.  Mowry  was  discharged  by  the 
court  which  tried  his  case.  His  property,  I  believe,  has 
since  been  l-estored  to  him  by  order  of  the  government. 

This  gentleman's  career  in  Arizona  has  been  singular- 
ly adventurous  and  varied.  In  1855  he  Avas  an  officer  of 
the  Federal  army  at  Fort  Yuma.  An  expedition  which 
he  made  into  the  wilds  of  Arizona  inspired  him  with  a 
high  opinion  of  its  great  mineral  resources  and  a  most 
enthusiastic  estimate  of  its  future  destiny.  He  resigned 
his  position  in  the  army,  and  spent  several  years  in  ex- 
ploring the  country,  and  attempting  to  procure  a  recog- 
nition of  its  claims  by  government.  At  one  period  he 
was  elected  a  delegate  to  Congress,  and  visited  Wash- 
ington for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a  territorial  organ- 
ization, but  his  object  was  defeated  by  sectional  dissen- 
sions in  that  body.  Mr.  Mowry  is  well  known  through- 
out the  United  States.  His  name  is  inseparably  connect- 
ed with  that  of  Arizona.  It  is  a  part  of  himself.  He 
once  declared,  in  a  moment  of  passion,  when  his  term  of 
residence  was  questioned,  that  "  he  was  hor7%  there !" 
Certainly  no  man  has  done  more  for  the  new  territory 
than  he,  and  no  man  loves  it  better.  The  climate  of  the 
Patagonia  is  unsurpassed — I  might  almost  say  unequaled. 
How  such  a  paradise  ever  came  to  be  christened  after 
the  chilly,  fog-smitten  land  Avhere  "  giants  grow  and 
storms  do  blow,"  I  am  unable  to  conjecture.  No  won- 
der Mr.  Mowry  prefers  his  own  name,  which,  if  not  so 
euphonious,  is  at  least  less  suggestive  of  howling  winds 
and  fishy  natives. 


238  Arizonci  and  Bonora. 

After  passing  through  the  canon  of  the  San  Lazaro, 
we  entered  a  valley  which  opens  out  into  a  magnificent 
grazing  range,  extending  nearly  twenty  miles  to  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Pinitos  Mountains.  Groves  of  cottonwood 
of  gigantic  size  fringe  the  stream  at  intervals  of  every 
few  miles.  The  grass  is  wonderfully  luxuriant,  covering 
the  valley  and  hill-sides,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  with 
a  rich  gold-colored  carpeting.  The  slopes  of  the  hills 
and  mountains  are  beautifully  adorned  wath' groves  of 
oak,  ash,  hackberry,  and  various  kinds  of  shrubbery, 
through  the  foliage  of  which  the  bright  yellow  grass  glis- 
tens like  a  patch-work  of  gold ;  and  far  in  the  distance 
this  glowing  continuation  of  colors  is  outlined  by  the 
purple  peaks  of  innumerable  sierras,  shivered  by  some 
tremendous  convulsion  of  the  earth  into  the  wildest  and 
most  fantastic  forms.  Such  sunrises  and  sunsets — such 
marvelous  richness  of  coloring — such  magic  lights  and 
shades  I  have  never  seen  equaled  in  Europe — not  even  in 
Italy  or  the  islands  of  the  Grecian  Archipelago. 

Santa  Rita  Mines. — A  small  party  of  us  resolved  to 
visit  the  mines  of  the  Santa  Rita  District.  For  this  ex- 
pedition we  provide^ourselves  with  a  pack-mule  for  our 
provisions,  and  caMDd  our  own  blankets  on  horseback. 
Crossing  the  Santl|iuruz^t  tl^rfoot  of  the  milpas,  oj^po- 
site  the  town  of  THbigtfr'fr  11^0 wed  an  arroyo  for  about 
four  miles,  when  wc  *dS^he  right  bank  and  enter- 

ed a  dry,  elevated  pi:  ,^  v^^'in  this  country  a  mesa,  or 
table,  stretching  almost  as  far  as  we  could  see  north  and 
south,  and  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  mountains  of  San- 
ta Rita,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Santa  Cruz  valley  and 
the  mountains  of  Atacosa.  It  was  a  matter  of  surprise 
to  most  of  us  how  luxuriant  the  gras^vas  on  this  mesa, 
and  what  an  inexhaustible  support  JBlffords  for  innu- 
merable herds  of  cattle.  No  water^iowever,  is  to  be 
found  nearer  than  the  Santa  Cruz  River  and  the  canons 
of  the  Santa  Rita  Mountains. 


J.  Hoss  Broicne  on  Arizona  Mines.  239 

We  found  the  beautiful  hacienda  of  the  Santa  Rita 
Company  now  solitary  and  desolate.  The  houses  have 
gone  to  ruin,  and  only  a  few  adobe  walls,  furnaces,  and 
the  frame-work  of  the  mill  remain  to  mark  the  spot  for- 
merly so  full  of  life  and  enterprise.  It  was  sad  to  stand 
among  these  ruins  and  think  how  hard  a  fate  had  been 
the  reward  of  nearly  all  the  enterprising  men  who  had 
built  up  this  little  community.  A  few  years  ago  these 
houses,  now  empty  and  crumbling  down  in  dusty  frag- 
ments, were  replete  with  busy  life ;  the  reduction  works 
were  in  full  blast,  and  every  heart  thrilled  with  the 
brightest  anticipations  of  the  future. 

Mr.  Poston,  who  had  done  more,  perhaps,  than  any 
other  man  to  develop  the  resources  of  this  vast  mineral 
region,  had  some  depressing  reflections  as  he  gazed  upon 
this  scene  of  ruin.*  He  had  sufiered  too  much,  however, 
in  Arizona,  and  seen  too  many  reverses  of  fortune  to 
waste  much  time  in  retrospection.  The  future  was  still 
bright  and  promising.  It  would  not  be  long  before 
these  tenements  would  be  again  inhabited,  and  the 
sounds  of  life  and  industry  again  enliven  the  place. 
With  the  necessary  protection  now  promised,  the  com- 
pany is  prepared  to  re-establish  the  works.  An  experi- 
enced manager,  Mr.  Wrightman,  who  has  had  long  expe- 
rience in  this  region,  is  now  on  the  way  out,  and  proba- 
bly not  more  than  a  few  months  will  elapse  before  the 
mines  and  hacienda  Avill  be  occupied  by  a  large  working 
force. 

At  the  distance  of  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  ha- 
cienda is  a  silver  lead,  situated  strangely  enough  in  the 
valley,  close  by  the  bed  of  the  creek,  upon  which  some 
explorations  have  been  made.  An  assay  of  the  ore, 
made  in  1861,  yielded  $400  to  the  ton.     Water  is  fur- 

*  I  am  glad  to  learn  that  my  friend  Poston  has  recently  been  elect- 
ed delegate  to  Congress  fr.om  Arizona. — J.  R.  B. 


240  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

nished  by  the  mine  itself,  which  is  not  considered  a  dis- 
advantage in  this  country,  where  that  element  is  the 
great  desideratum. 

The  Saleeo  Mine. — A  mile  beyond  we  reached  the 
foot  of  the  Salero  Mountain,  near  which,  in  a  pleasant 
little  valley,  stand  the  ruins  of  the  peon  houses,  once  oc- 
cupied by  the  operators  on  the  Salero  Mine.  The  sur- 
rounding hills  are  clothed  with  a  rich  growth  of  grass, 
and  there  is  an  abundance  of  oak  timber  scattered  over 
these  hills  and  the  adjacent  mountains  to  supply  the  req- 
uisite fuel  for  the  reduction  works  for  many  years.  Wa- 
ter is  found  in  an  adjacent  canon  a  few  hundred  yards 
from  the  quarters,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantities  for 
stock.  There  would  be  no  difficulty,  however,  in  in- 
creasing the  quantity  by  digging. 

The  Salero,  which  is  the  principal  mine  in  this  region, 
is  situated  in  the  side  of  a  conical  mountain  of  the  same 
name,  rising  immediately  from  this  little  valley,  and  pre- 
senting some  very  striking  mineral  phenomena.  The 
shaft  is  seen  about  a  third  pf  the  way  up  its  face,  and  is 
approached  by  a  wagon-road,  which  cuts  and  leaves  ex- 
posed a  number  of  veins  running  into  the  mountain  in 
nearly  the  same  direction,  and  all  bearing  more  or  less 
indications  of  silver. 

During  the  afternoon  and  on  the  following  day  we  vis- 
ited at  least  fifteen  or  twenty  distinct  mines,  all  partial- 
ly opened  and  well  tested,  forming  what  might  be  termed 
a  perfect  network  of  silver  -  bearing  ledges.  Among 
these  were  the  Salero,  Bustillo,  Crystal,  Encarnacion, 
Cazador,  and  Fuller,  each  one  of  which  has  yielded,  un- 
der a  very  imperfect  system  of  working,  at  the  rate  of 
from  four  to  fourteen  hundred  dollars  to  the  ton.  This, 
of  course,  was  from  selected  ores.  The  average  would 
probably  not  fall  short  of  two  hundred  dollars,  though 
sufficient  work  has  not  yet  been  done  upon  which  to 


J.B.OSS  JBrowne  on  Arizona  3Iines.  241 

base  a  reliable  calculation.  The  assays  and  experiments 
of  such  men  as  Ktistel,  Pompelly,  Booth,  Garnett,  Main- 
zer,  Blake,  Dr.  Jackson,  of  Boston,  and  others,  demon- 
strate, at  least,  that  there  is  a  great  abundance  of  rich 
ores  in  the  Santa  Rita  District. 

As  a  grazing  country  for  cattle  and  sheep,  the  valleys 
and  foot-hills  of  the  Santa  Rita  can  not  be  surpassed. 
Grass  of  every  variety  known  in  Arizona  covers  the 
ground  all  the  year,  and  there  is  practically  no  winter 
for  live-stock.  The  climate  is  so  mild,  even  in  the 
months  of  January  and  February,  that  it  is  a  positive 
luxury  to  sleep  in  the  open  air.  Wood  can  be  obtained 
in  limited  quantities  in  the  neighborhood  ;  and  when  that 
is  exhausted,  the  valley  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  only  twelve 
miles  distant,  furnishes  an  inexhaustible  supply.  The 
mines  abound  in  ores  easy  of  reduction  by  smelting,  and 
they  are  so  situated  that  access  to  all  of  them  by  good 
roads  can  be  had  at  a  small  expense.  The  transit  to 
Tucson  and  Guaymas  is  over  the  best  natural  roads  in 
the  world,  but  will  require  military  protection  for  some 
time  to  come. 

The  Sopoei  Ranch,  although  at  present  uninhabited, 
possesses  advantages  as  a  raining  and  grazing  region 
which  have  long  since  given  it  a  reputation  in  Sonora. 
Embracing  over  twenty  square  leagues  of  mountain  and 
valley,  it  comprises  within  its  boundaries  some  of  the 
best  silver  and  copper  leads  and  cattle -ranges  in  the 
country.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  year  it  is  well 
watered ;  but  there  are  times  when  water  is  scarce,  ex- 
cept in  the  vicinity  of  the  head-quarters,  where  the  sup- 
ply is  never-failing.  By  means  of  acequias,  a  considera- 
ble extent  of  bottom-land,  of  a  very  productive  quality, 
has  already  been  cultivated.  The  usual  cereal  crops 
thrive  well  here,  and  esculents  are  especially  fine.  Wood 
of  many  valuable  varieties,  such  as  oak,  ash,  walnut,  cot- 

L 


242  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

tonwood,  willow,  and  mesquit,  grows  in  the  ravines  and 
along  the  margin  of  the  creek.  Lying  twelve  miles  south 
of  Tubac,  bordering  on  the  mission  lands  of  San  Xavier 
del  Bac  to  the  north,  and  distant  but  forty-five  miles 
from  Tucson,  on  the  highway  to  the  Cerro  Colorado,- 
Arivaca,  and  Sonora,  it  possesses  great  advantages  of 
location,  and  a  climate  unrivaled  for  its  salubrity. 

I  spent  the  afternoon  rambling  over  the  hills,  making 
sketches  of  the  scenery,  which,  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
is  Itahan  in  its  atmospheric  coloring.  Indeed,  that  land 
which  possesses  the  "  fatal  gift  of  beauty"  is  fairly  out- 
rivaled by  the  Sopori. 

The  principal  mine,  which  I  also  visited,  is  about  two 
miles  from  the  head-quarters.  As  yet  the  lode  has  been 
but  little  explored.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk,  from  which 
some  very  rich  ore  has  been  taken,  portions  of  it  in  small 
particles  of  pure  silver. 

I  do  not  believe,  however,  from  my  own  casual  obser- 
vation, that  the  mother  vein  has  yet  been  struck.  The 
average  of  ores  taken  out,  and  upon  which  experiments 
have  been  made,  demonstrates  a  yield  of  $150  to  the  ton, 
and  this  by  the  rudest  process  of  smelting.  Selected 
specimens  have  yielded  $700  to  the  ton.  Still,  the  vein 
does  not  appear  to  me  sufficiently  defined  at  the  point 
now  reached  to  warrant  the  belief  that  large  results  can 
be  expected  without  farther  exploration.  Mr.  Bartlett, 
I  believe,  has  taken  a  great  interest  in  the  development 
of  this  region,  and  has  organized  a  company  at  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island,  for  the  working  of  the  mines  on  an 
extensive  scale. 

The  whole  country  bears"  strong  indications  of  rich 
mineral  deposits.  The  Mexicans,  for  many  years  past, 
have  worked  some  gold  placers  in  the  ravines  of  the 
neighboring  mountains ;  and  we  saw  the  remains  of  aras- 
tras  where  they  had  formerly  ground  and  smelted  silver 


J.  Ross  Browne  on  Arizona  Mines.  243 

ores.  All  this  district  of  country  needs  development. 
With  capital,  energy,  and  patience,  it  must  eventually  be- 
come one  of  the  most  valuable  mining  districts  in  the 
Territory. 

The  Heintzelman  Mine. — An  early  start  enabled  us 
to  reach,  by  noon,  the  Heintzelman  Mine,  or,  as  it  is  more 
commonly  called,  the  "  Cerro  Colorado."  This  celebra- 
ted mine  belongs  to  a  company  of  New  York  capitalists, 
known  as  the  "Arizona  Mining  Company."  The  dis- 
tance by  the  road  from  Tubac  is  as  follows :  To  Revan- 
ton,  8  miles ;  Sopori,  5  ;  Cerro  Colorado,  11 :  total,  24 
miles.  A  much  shorter  road  could  be  made  across  the 
foot-hills  of  the  Atacosa  range  of  mountains,  but  the  work 
would  be  attended  by  considerable  expense.  From  So- 
pori, the  road  now  used  is  the  public  highway  to  Altar, 
Saric,  and  other  points  in  Sonora,  and  will  probably  form 
a  branch  of  the  projected  route  to  Port  Libertad,  on  the 
Gulf  of  California.  It  runs  through  a  broad  open  valley, 
abounding  in  groves  of  walnut,  oak,  ash,  and  mesquit, 
fringing  the  bed  of  a  creek  which  is  usually  dry  at  this 
season.  Numerous  arroyas,  extending  down  from  the 
gulches  of  the  neighbdl'ing  mountains,  in  which  the  sands 
are  drifted  by  the  floods  of  former  years,  show  that  the 
country  is  not  always  so  destitute  of  water  as  it  is  at 
present.  The  valley  extends  nearly  all  the  way  up  from 
the  Sopori  to  the  foot-hills  of  the  Cerro  Colorado.  It  is 
covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  grass,  and  is  one  of 
the  finest  grazing  regions  for  cattle  and  sheep  I  have 
seen  in  the  Territory.  Sufficient  water  for  stock  can  be 
had  any  where  along  the  bed  of  the  creek  by  digging  a 
few  feet.  On  the  north  side  there  is  a  rise  of  several 
hundred  feet  to  the  level  of  a  mesa,  which  extends  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach  toward  San  Xavier  del  Bac.  This 
plateau  is  dry  and  rocky,  but  produces  fine  gramma  grass, 
and  furnishes  an  inexhaustible  range  for  sheep.     To  the 


244'  Arizo7ia  and  Sonora. 

southward  lie  the  rolling  hills  that  join  the  Atacosa 
Mountains.  These  are  also  covered  with  grass,  and  dot- 
ted with  palo-verde,  mesquit,  and  cactus.  Deer  is  abun- 
dant in  this  region,  having  been  but  little  disturbed  dur- 
ing the  past  few  years.  We  killed  two  as  we  traveled 
along  the  road,  and  saw  many  more.  Wild  turkeys,  rab- 
bits, quails,  and  other  game  also  abound  in  great  num- 
bers, so  that  we  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  the  camp 
well  supplied. 

I  was  surprised,  on  our  arrival  at  the  mine,  to  see 
the  amount  of  work  which  had  been  done  at  this  place. 
The  head-quarters  lie  on  a  rise  of  ground  about  a  mile 
distant  from  the  foot  of  the  Cerro  Colorado,  and  present, 
at  the  first  view,  the  appearance  of  a  Mexican  village 
built  around  the  nucleus  of  a  fort. 

Scarcely  three  years  ago  the  hacienda  of  the  Cerro 
Colorado  presented  probably  the  most  striking  scene  of 
life  and  energy  in  the  territory.  About  a  hundred  and 
twenty  peons  were  in  the  employ  of  the  company ;  the 
works  were  in  active  operation ;  vast  piles  of  ore  were 
cast  up  daily  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth ;  wagons  were 
receiving  and  discharging  freights ;  the  puff  and  whistle 
of  the  steam-engine  resounded  over  the  hills ;  herds  of 
cattle,  horses,  mules,  and  other  stock  ranged  over  the 
valleys.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  it  was  silent  and  deso- 
late— a  picture  of  utter  abandonment.  The  adobe  houses 
were  fast  falling  into  ruin ;  the  engines  were  no  longer 
at  work ;  the  rich  piles  of  ore  lying  in  front  of  the  shafts 
had  been  sacked  and  robbed  by  marauding  Mexicans ; 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  wreck  and  ruin,  and  the  few 
solitary  graves  on  a  neighboring  hill,  which  tell  the  story 
of  violence  and  sacrifice  by  w^hich  the  pathway  to  civil- 
ization has  been  marked  in  Arizona. 

We  took  up  our  quarters  within  the  walled  fortifica- 
tions which  mark  the  entrance  to  the  mine.     The  works 


J.  R088  Browne  on  Arizona  Mines.         ■  245 

are  well  protected  by  a  tower  in  one  corner  of  the 
square,  commanding  the  plaza  and  various  buildings  and 
store-houses,  as  also  the  shafts  of  the  mine,  which  open 
along  the  ledge  for  a  distance  of  several  hundred  yards. 
We  found  the  steam-engine  still  standing  within,  the  in- 
closure,  but  rusty  and  partially  imbedded  in  the  ground. 
Remains  of  asastras  and  "  whins,"  with  various  massive 
beams  scattered  about,  showed  to  some  extent  the  large 
amount  of  labor  expended  upon  these  works. 

The  entrance  to  the  mine  is  close  by  the  tower.  The 
shaft  has  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  a  hundred  and  forty 
feet,  and  has  been  for  some  time  partially  filled  with  wa- 
ter. Poston  and  myself  descended  by  the  ladders  as  far 
as  we  could.  About  sixty  feet  of  water  stopped  us  from 
going  any  farther.  I  was  surprised  at  the  completeness 
and  durability  of  the  work — the  more  so,  knowing  with 
what  difficulty  every  part  of  it  had  been  accomplished. 

Of  the  quality  of  the  ores  in  this  mine  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  express  any  opinion  of  my  own.  The  best 
practical  evidence  I  saw  of  their  value  was  that  the 
Mexicans  had  been  plundering  the  different  shafts  which 
were  accessible  just  prior  to  our  arrival;  and, judging 
from  their  rude  system  of  reduction,  I  scarcely  think 
they  would  waste  time  in  stealing  ore  of  little  value  and 
transporting  it  across  the  border  line  through  an  Apache 
country.  It  is  well  known  that  the  town  of  Saric,  in 
Sonora,  has  been  built  upon  the  proceeds  of  ore  stolen 
from  the  Heintzelman  Mine.  I  saw  scattered  about  the 
premises  piles  of  ore  which  had  just  been  broken  up, 
ready  for  packing  away ;  and  the  fresh  tracks  of  mule- 
trains  and  wagon-wheels,  on  the  well-beaten  road  to  Sa- 
ric, showed  how  profitable  this  sort  of  enterprise  must 
be  to  the  Sonoranians. 

The  Aeivaca  Mines. — Seven  miles  from  the  Cerro 
Colorado  we  reached  the  Arivaca  ranch,  long  celebrated 


246  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

for  its  rich  mines  and  fine  pastures.  This  ranch,  called 
by  the  Mexicans  Xa  Aribac^  comprises  within  its  bounda- 
ries 1 7,000  acres  of  agricultural  land,  25  silver  mines,  for- 
merly worked  by  the  Mexicans,  and  numerous  gold,  cop- 
per, and  lead  mines,  as  yet  undeveloped.  It  contains  a 
large  amount  of  rich  meadow-land,  bordering  on  a  never- 
failing  stream ;  is  well  wooded  with  oak,  walnut,  ash,  Cot- 
tonwood, and  mesquit,  and  is  capable  of  sustaining  a  pop- 
ulation of  five  or  six  thousand  souls.  The  range  for  cat- 
tle and  sheep  is  almost  without  limit,  extending  over  a 
belt  of  grazing  country  as  far  south  as  the  Arizuma 
Mountains,  west  to  the  great  peak  of  the  Baboquivori, 
and  north  and  east  into  the  heart  of  the  neighboring 
mountains.  This  goes  far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the 
ranch  ;  but  in  Arizona,  as  in  California,  the  possession  of 
water  is  tantamount  to  the  possession  of  the  whole  sur- 
rounding ct)untry.  The  title  is  held  by  the  Arizona 
Mining  Company,  and  is  derived  from  Thomas  and  Igna- 
cio  Ortez,  who  perfected  it  as  early  as  1802.  It  was  sur- 
veyed by  Lieutenant  A.  B.  Gray,  of  the  Boundary  Com- 
mission, in  1859.  Up  to  the  abandonment  of  the  Terri- 
tory in  1861,  it  was  in  a  progressive  state  of  improve- 
ment under  the  auspices  of  the  company's  agent.  The 
reduction  works  of  the  Heintzelman  Mine  were  situated 
on  this  ranch  for  the  convenience  of  wood,  water,  and 
pasturage,  and  were  projected  on  a  costly  and  extensive 
scale.  Little  now  remains  of  them  save  the  ruins  of  the 
mill  and  furnaces,  the  adobe  store-houses  and  offices,  and 
a  dilapidated  corral. 

"We  camped  in  the  old  mill,  and  spent  a  couple  of  days 
very  pleasantly  in  visiting  the  mines  and  exploring  the 
gulches  of  the  neighboring  mountains.  Game  was  abun- 
dant. Some  of  our  escort  who  were  good  shots  brought 
in  several  fat  deer,  and  we  lived  in  sumptuous  style  dur- 
ing our  stay. 


J.  Ross  Browne  on  Arizona  Mines.  247 

A  couple  of  miles  below  the  head-quarters  is  situated 
another^  mining  establishment  belonging  to  the  same 
company,  and  designed  for  the  use  of  certain  mines  in 
the  same  vicinity,  one  of  which  we  visited,  and  found  to 
present  very  favorable  indications  of  lead  and  silver  ore. 
Several  buildings,  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation,  com- 
prise what  is  left  of  the  hacienda ;  also  a  double  corral 
for  horses  and  cattle. 

The  Caiiuabia  District. — Crossing  the  desert  of  the 
Papagoria,  we  made  an  exploration  of  the  Cahuabia  Dis- 
trict. The  principal  mines  in  this  district  are  owned  by 
the  Cahuabia  Mining  Company.  From  the  Report  of 
Mr.  Mainzer,  a  very  able  practical  engineer,  it  would  ap- 
pear that  the  silver  lodes  are  among  the  richest  in  Ari- 
zona; but  I  can  readily  believe  this  to  be  the  case  from 
my  own  observation.  I  have  seen  nothing  in  Washoe 
or  elsewhere  that  presents  more  favorable  indications. 
Mr.  Jaeger,  our  Fort  Yuma  friend  "Don  Diego,"  of 
whose  history  I  gave  a  brief  sketch  in  my  first  paper, 
owns  the  "  Pecacho,"  a  very  rich  lead,  upon  which  con- 
siderable work  has  been  done.  A  few  Mexicans  were 
engaged  in  getting  out  the  ores  at  the  time  of  our  ar- 
rival. This  mine  was  leased  to  a  Mexican  during  the 
past  two  years,  who,  by  the  rudest  system  of  working, 
managed  to  get  about  forty  thousand  dollars  out  of  it, 
over  and  above  expenses. 

We  visited  the  Bahia,  a  silver  lode  of  extraordinary 
richness  belonging  to  the  Cahuabia  Mining  Company. 
From  some  Mexicans  who  were  helping  themselves  to 
the  ore,  we  learned  that  it  yielded  an  average  of  $300  to 
$350  to  the  ton,  and  occasionally  they  struck  it  in  nearly 
a  pure  state.  There  are  also  very  fine  copper  mines  in 
the  vicinity.  Mr.  Hill  d'Amit,  who  was  a  member  of 
our  party  on  the  trip  to  Sonora,  is  largely  interested  in 
one  of  these,  and  considers  it  one  of  the  best  copper  leads 


248  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

in  the  country — quite  equal  to  the  celebrated  Maricopa 
lead  on  the  Gila.  Difficulty  of  transportation  is  the 
great  drawback  to  copper  mining  in  this  part  of  Arizo- 
na. I  am  satisfied,  from  my  own  observation,  and  from 
the  concurrent  testimony  of  others,  that  the  Cahuabia  is 
a  mineral  region  of  more  than  ordinary  richness.  It 
abounds  in  almost  all  the  precious  metals,  but  is  as  yet 
scarcely  known  beyond  Tucson.  No  finer  field  for  ex- 
ploration and  enterprise  exists  south  of  the  Gila. 

My  impressions  of  Arizona  may  be  summed  up  in  a 
few  words.  I  believe  it  to  be  a  territory  wonderfully 
rich  in  minerals,  but  subject  to  greater  drawbacks  than 
any  other  of  our  territorial  possessions.  It  will  be  many 
years  before  its  mineral  resources  can  be  fairly  devel- 
oped. Emigration  must  be  encouraged  by  increased  mil- 
itary protection ;  capital  must  be  expended  without  the 
hope  of  immediate  and  extraordinary  returns  ;  civil  law 
must  be  established  on  a  firm  basis,  and  facilities  of 
communication  be  fostered  by  legislation  of  Congress. 


Ward  on  the  (Silver  Mines  of  N'orthern  Mexico,  249 


POSTSCRIPT.* 

WAED   ON   THE   SILVER  MINES   OF   NORTHERN  MEXICO. 

Projects  for  Mining. — The  Mines  of  Arizpe. — Richness  of  Ores. — 
The  Balls  of  Silver. — Old  Spanish  Decree. — Criaderos  de  Plata. — 
Speculations  and  Prospects. 

Some  Americans  have  endeavored  to  establish  a- com- 
pany for  Batopilas,  but  have  not,  I  believe,  as  yet  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  a  sufficient  capital.  A  Mexican  com- 
pany for  working  some  of  the  mines  of  Sonora  was  like- 
wise proposed  in  the  capital  very  lately,  but  failed,  I  be- 
lieve, in  consequence  of  a  want  of  confidence  in  the  per- 
sons who  wished  to  promote  its  formation. 

A  similar  enterprise  will  shortly  be  attempted  in  En- 
gland by  an  English  gentleman  (Colonel  Bourne)  who 
has  been  long  a  resident  in  Mexico,  in  conjunction  with 
Mr.  Escalante,  the  representative  of  the  State  of  Sonora 
in  the  Senate.  They  have  taken  up  contracts  for  the 
mines  of  Arizpe  (about  36°  north  latitude),  in  a  situation 
possessing  great  local  advantages — a  fertile  country,  the 
vicinity  of  two  large  rivers,  and  a  communication  by  wa- 
ter w^ith  the  Pacific.  The  mines  themselves  were  for- 
merly celebrated  for  their  riches,  and  the  capital  re- 
quired to  bring  them  again  into  activity  is  very  small. 

The  specimens  which  I  have  seen  of  the  ores  extract- 
ed from  them  almost  induce  one  to  adopt  the  theory 
that  the  proportion  of  silver  contained  in  thfe  ores  in- 

*  While  on  my  way  from  San  Francisco  to  visit  my  mines  in  Ari- 
zona, my  attention  was  drawn  to  the  following  passages  in  "Ward's 
Mexico,'^  published  some  years  ago,  which  throw  some  light  upon  the 
early  history  of  mining  in  Sonora  and  Arizona. — S.  M.,  GuaymaSj 
Mexico,  August  7,  1864. 


250  AHzona  and  Sonora. 

creases  as  you  advance  toward  the  north — a  theory  very 
generally  believed  at  present  in  Mexico,  and  certainly 
confirmed  by  the  superiority  of  the  northern  ores  to 
those  of  the  richest  districts  in  the  south.  The  idea 
probably  originated  in  the  discovery  of  the  famous  bolas 
de  plata  (balls  of  silver)  of  Arizona,  in  the  beginning 
of  the  last  century,  which  was,  and  probably  still  is,  be- 
lieved in  Europe  to  be  one  of  those  fables  with  which 
mining  countries  always  abound. 

But  the  attention  of  the  present  government  of  Mexi- 
co having  been  drawn  to  the  subject,  a  search  was  made 
in  the  vice-regal  archives,  by  order  of  the  President,  for 
the  correspondence  which  was  known  to  have  taken 
place  respecting  it  in  the  year  1736. 

This  correspondence  I  have  seen ;  and  I  have  in  my 
possession  a  certified  copy  of  a  decree  of  Philip  the 
Fifth,  dated  Aranjuez,  May  28th,  1741,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  terminate  a  prosecution  instituted  by  the 
royal  fiscal  against  the  discoverers  of  Arizona  for  hav- 
ing defrauded  the  treasury  of  the  duties  payable  upon 
the  masses  of  pure  silver  found  there. 

The  decree  states  the  weight  of  the  balls,  sheets,  and 
other  pieces  of  silver  discovered  {polas^  planchas^  y  otras 
piezas  de  plata)  to  have  amounted  to  165  arrobas,  8  lbs. 
— in  all,  4033  lbs. ;  and  mentions  particularly  one  mass  of 
pure  silver  weighing  108  arrobas  (2700  lbs.),  and  anoth- 
er of  eleven  arrobas,  upon  which  duties  had  been  ac- 
tually paid  by  a  Don  Domingo  Asmendi,  and  which,  as 
a  great  natural  curiosity  {como  cosa  esjjecial)^  the  king 
states  ought  to  have  been  sent  to  Madrid. 

The  decree  ends  by  declaring  the  District  of  Arizona 
to  be  royal  property,  as  a  "  criadero  de  platcC^  (a  place 
where,  by  some  natural  process,  silver  was  created) — an 
idea  to  which  the  flexibility  ©f  the  metal,  when  first  ex- 
tracted, seemed,  in  those  times,  to  give  some  color  of 


Ward  on  the  Silver  3Iines  of  Northern  Mexico.  251 

probability — and  by  directing  it  to  be  worked  upon  the 
royal  account.  This  put  a  stop  to  the  enterprises  of  in- 
dividuals ;  the  district  was  deserted  ;  an  attempt  to  send 
a  colony  there  failed ;  and,  in  a  few  years,  the  very  name 
of  Arizona  was  forgotten. 

I  am  far  from  supposing  that  the  whole  of  the  facts 
recorded  in  this  decree  can  be  taken  as  correct,  although 
the  authenticity  of  the  decree  is  unquestionable.  But 
what  one  can  not  adopt  without  confirmation  ought  not 
to  be  rejected  without  inquiry;  and  I  see  enough,  at 
least,  in  these  records  of  Arizona  to  warrant  the  suppo- 
sition (confirmed  as  it  is  by  the  facts  and  appearances 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  pages)  that  the  hitherto  un- 
explored regions  in  the  north  of  Mexico  contain  min- 
eral treasures  which,  as  discoveries  proceed,  are  likely  to 
make  the  future  produce  of  the  country  infinitely  exceed 
the  amount  that  has  been  hitherto  drawn  from  the  com- 
paratively poorer  districts  of  the  south. 

In  how  far  these  discoveries  must  be  influenced  by  the 
progress  of  population,  and  in  what  degree  the  discover- 
ies themselves  may  be  expected  to  influence  that  prog- 
ress, remains  as  a  subject  of  inquiry  for  the  fourth  and 
last  section  of  this  book,  in  w^hich  I  shall  endeavor  to 
point  out  the  connection  between  the  mines  and  the  ag- 
riculture and  commerce  of  Mexico,  as  the  best  mode  of 
illustrating  the  effect  likely  to  be  produced  by  their  pros- 
perity upon  a  country  the  general  interests  of  which  they 
so  effectually  promote.  —  Vol.  i.,  pages  458-461. 


THE   END. 


m 


RETURN     CIRCULATION  DEPARTMENT 
TOi"^-     202  Main  Library 


LOAN  PERIOD  1 
HOME  USE 

2                      : 

3 

4 

5                               ( 

b 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

1  -month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling  642-3405 

6-month  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books  to  Circulation 

Desk 

Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 

INTERLIBR 

\ny  LOAN 

f:MU    1    ! 

^  H/^ 

E5J  ?1B.    MAY  9,  ^    W 

MAy  ne  igqc 

i^oO 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 

FORM  NO.  DD6,  40m,  3/78  BERKELEY,  CA  94720 

(8)$ 


liiiiiSiiimiiiHiiiir  ""'^"'^ 

CDS13M3D13 


fmrnm: 


'iWiiiiW 


